


It Hits You Like A Train

by QueenEchidna



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Alcohol, Anxiety Disorder, Bonding, Creek is really lovestruck and it shows, Currently just talk of Mpreg but that will change, Domestic Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Living Together, Love, M/M, Mating, Meditation, Mpreg, Nervousness, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rating will go up, Romance, Set in "Trolls: The Beat Goes On", Slow Burn, accidental dates, courting, learning to love, talk of mating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2019-11-12 10:38:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 32,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18009368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenEchidna/pseuds/QueenEchidna
Summary: Re-titled: Was'This Heals Nothing'but my story has deferred from it's original path, and so was renamed to fit the tone of the story more suitably.+-+-+-+It's Courting season and Branch is vehemently against it. As he prepares to keep himself locked up in the bunker until it's over, Poppy gets it in her head that Branch needs to "learn to love again", and so designates Creek as his mentor, to prepare Branch for the suitor Poppy has in mind. Now held up in the bunker together, Branch has to see what living with a Troll completely opposite to him is like, while Creek struggles with feelings he didn't know he had all while trying to help Branch open up to new things- even though Branch has secrets that are holding him back- all in time for the Romance Festival where Branch will be expected to pick a suitor.+-+-+-+Rating and tags will be added and changed as I add on chapters, be mindful of them before you read to avoid any discomfort.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Thanks for clicking! This is something I didn't even know I wanted to write until a couple weeks ago, and I honestly hadn't even thought about this ship until I read some amazing fanfics for it and totally opened up to the idea!  
> This is really just my excuse to write some of my favorite tropes and such into a story for one of my fav shows/movies! I plan on exploring Branch's anxiety and trust issues in a way that I personally have dealt with, as well as a darker exploration of his past that makes it hard for him to trust. And I am a sucker for characters falling in love without 100% realizing it so there will be a lot of that nonsense.  
> Tags will be added as I go, there most likely will eventually be smut and at least more mentions of mpreg because i am just nasty.

It was astoundingly busy in the market, but Branch wasn’t about to waste his time wondering about _why_ because it was always the main hub of activity in the village and so was prone to have unassuming busy days. He was just hoping that even with this crowd that Smidge had plenty of his favorite Stoutberry juice, the kind infused with sweet mint and apricot, in stock. It wasn’t a particularly popular flavor because of the odd, off-kilter sweetness it had, but Trolls were always up for trying new things and therefore muscle in on Branch’s signature flavor preference. 

It was taking forever to muscle his way through the market, even with his overabundance of hot-headedness, Branch found it monumentously hard to exist in crowds, and so lost most of his vigor and ability to push people out of the way. He truly hated himself for it; turning into some sheepish child as soon as he was presented that kind of situation, it only caused him more anxiety as he was bowled over and mowed down by taller and bigger Trolls that didn’t seem to mind. 

He let out a relieved sigh as he broke through a bustling intersection of the market and came out to a much less busy area where the food and drink vendors were. He spotted Smidge’s stand, unfortunately it was surrounded by other Trolls scrambling for her much-loved juice cocktails. Hesitantly, he began his trek to the booth, his hands nervously clutching the strap of his bag as he had to fight his instinct to not purposefully include himself in the rowdy mess. He wasn’t given much of a chance to get close though as he was met with a tangle of pushy elbows and a wall of Trolls, most of which were taller than him if only by a head or so. 

After a few minutes of fruitlessly trying to get through, he huffed angrily and agreed with himself to just wait until the rush cleared, knowing full well that might take hours, but being too jittery to really do anything else about it. He fixed himself on a mossy rock a few feet back from the stand and began thumbing through his shopping haul for the day: some electronic gizmos Cooper was pawning that Branch knew he could repurpose, a sample of some new fertilizer from Milton Moss for his garden, and the rest of his bag was mostly filled with fresh veggies. 

He was going to try and stay in his bunker for the next couple weeks so today was what he hoped would be his last shopping day until afterwards: as it was about to be Spring and courting season was upon the village and soon he wouldn’t be able to breath without smelling roses and hearing overly tooth-rotting love songs. He didn’t care if the others enjoyed it, he just preferred to stay isolated during that time due to personal preference and past experience. 

The crowd at Smidge’s stand was only becoming more erratic as the morning rose into the afternoon and Branch was getting annoyed, which helped him muscle through his anxiety to try again at getting to the front of the mob. First, he tried to walk around the sides, then he tried to shoulder-jam his way through the huddle, he even attempted crawling at one point to void the wildly swinging elbows, but none of it worked and he was shoved unceremoniously onto his ass behind the crowd, cursing his smaller-than-average stature and the unpredictable nature of his fellow Trolls. 

“Branch, dear, are you alright?” Branch, from his place lying on the ground, craned his neck back to look up to where the voice was coming from. Creek kneeled down by his head, a confused but kind smile on his face as he offered a hand to the fallen Troll. 

Branch grumbled and swatted his hand away, briskly righting himself and dusting off his shorts. “M’fine,” He mumbled, the slightest bit embarrassed he had been caught in such a silly position amongst the market. 

Creek nodded slowly, his smile not faltering, his soft indigo eyes drifting over to the crowded juice stand and then back to Branch, who had resorted to pouting with his back turned. It was fairly common knowledge to anyone who paid attention that Branch both loved Stoutberry juice and hated crowds and all the loud noise that came with it; just looking at him in the moment it was obvious, his shoulders twitched when someone was especially loud, he was constantly gripping his bag strap for dear life- being out at the market on such a busy day was self-induced torture for the poor Troll and Creek could read it all over his face. He was an anxious mess. 

After a few minutes of brooding and letting his nerves calm, Branch decided he should probably try again if he was ever going to escape the world for the day. He flipped back towards Smidge’s stand, only to be once again greeted by Creek, this time holding out a six pack of Stoutberry juice. It took a minute for Branch to realize he was offering them to him, “What’s this?” He asked skeptically, eyeing the juices while wondering how on earth the taller Troll had made it through that crowd. 

“For you, silly.” Creek chuckled, quite accustomed to Branch’s overt distrustfulness, “I see you here all the time. And Smidge actually talks quite fondly of you since you’re here so often.” He put down the six pack, seeing as though Branch wasn’t making any moves to take it, and pulled out a single bottle of juice from his bag, “I wasn’t sure if you had any specific flavor in mind, but I picked out my favorite flavor in hopes you may enjoy it as well.” He handed the loose bottle out, and Branch took it carefully. 

He wasn’t thrilled at the idea of being stuck with a flavor that wasn’t his favorite, but he was very flustered by the act, he would have never guessed Creek of all Trolls would go out of his way to do something as trivial as getting juice for him. “Give it a try, love, I think it’s got a beautiful flavor.” Creek proclaimed jovially. 

Branch bristled at the pet name but popped open the bottle and took a shallow sip. The flavor that greeted him was welcome and familiar and made his taste buds tingle, and he knew immediately that it was sweet mint and apricot infused Stoutberry juice; his flavor! He almost choked on it but managed to swallow his small mouthful. Never would he have expected Creek to have the same tastes as him; Branch always assumed Creek would have a more refined, natural preference in flavors. Then again; he supposed that most Trolls probably wouldn’t peg _him_ as a super-sweet-juice kinda guy either. 

Branch must have been making a face because Creek’s smile faltered, “Oh, of course you don’t like it. It’s a bit of a strange preference of mine, very sweet but with that minty bite, not exactly what most Trolls would prefer.” Creek began reaching for the six pack that lay at their feet. 

He didn’t know if it was the kind gesture or the surprise of having something in common with the lavender Troll, but Branch sputtered out an awkward fumbling noise that made Creek stop and look up worriedly. Color dusted Branch’s cheeks at the realization of what a fool he must have sounded like and he quickly cleared his throat, “No, I liked it.” He muscled out, not quite wanting to explain how that was also his favorite flavor, but also wanting to let the other Troll know that his gift was appreciated. He was getting used to it but the whole _’being nice’_ practice still didn’t come very naturally for Branch. “Thank you.” He added huffily, picking up the six pack and casting his eyes away nervously. 

Now looking much happier, Creek folded his hands together in front of him and did a small bow, “I’m so glad I could help. I know how much you dislike it here,” He glanced around calmly, and Branch marveled at anyone able to keep such a gentle composure in all the surround chaos. “It is dreadfully awful most days.” He admitted under his breath. Branch raised his dark brows in shock, ever since Creek properly returned to life-as-usual in the village, he hadn’t heard the guru say one negative thing, let alone about Troll village and her people. It felt like an oddly intimate exchange to hear Creek’s unbiased thoughts on the bustling nature of their home, and Branch tried not to think too hard about it. 

Creek straightened himself out and folded his arms behind his back and cast a lazy stare at the crowd again, “Yeah I much prefer working on my zen garden or sitting at home reading my meditation journals.” He mused offhandedly, not quite wanting to leave Branch’s company yet. 

Branch felt an anxiety grip his chest. _Reading!_ He had forgotten to pick up his new books from the library. “Dammit.” Branch groaned, grinding his teeth. He supposed it wasn’t the end of the world, but reading was one of the only things that helped him get to sleep at night, and he had already read everything in his library and would be rightfully too pissed to get sleepy to a story he already knew the plot and ending to. 

“What’s wrong?” Creek asked, clasping his hands in front of his chest, worried he may have done something wrong. 

Branch sighed, “I forgot to grab my new books from the library yesterday, and Tome already went out of town with her wife.” His hands fell limply to his sides, “Sorry,” He hummed, moving a hand up to rub the back of his neck, knowing full well nobody cared about his mundane rambling, “It’s nothing you need to worry about. Just needed some new reading material for the next couple weeks.” 

Creek’s ears twitched up and he grinned, “Well if books are all you need, I can help!” He said pointedly, “If you’d like you could come stop by my pod and see if I have anything that tickles your fancy. I have plenty of books, and don’t worry, they’re not all my whacky enlightenment books.” He chuckled nervously, constantly worried his meditative lifestyle would drive people away with how strange it was. 

For a moment Branch just stared at the ground, more than unsure and uncomfortable with going into someone’s personal pod, but also intrigued with the promise of something to fill his endless time while he’s stuck below ground. He and Creek hadn’t always been on the best terms, but the last year or so was one of practiced comfort and mutual respect and so Branch decided to go against his flight instinct, and reached his conclusion and gave a hesitant nod in response. Creek reached a hand out, seemingly with the intent to take Branch’s in his own, but he stopped and merely motioned for the shorter Troll to follow, not knowing just how thankful Branch was for the lack of contact. 

///////// 

Creek’s pod smelled like incense and rain and Branch couldn’t help but feel a calming wave roll over him as he breathed it in. He looked around and was completely enthralled by all the diagrams and charts that were arranged over parts of the walls, some were guides to chakra points, some were proper posture positions, and some had full body meditation instructions for different practicing levels. 

While Creek busied himself with tidying up around his bookshelf, Branch made a circle around the room, admiring the décor and all the things Creek had lying around. He was quite enthralled with the many hanging, leafy plants by the window that he didn’t recognize from this area, he gently ran his hand under the massive leaves and traced his fingers down the tailing vines. Then he eagerly popped over to a table that was covered in different minerals and gems and began carefully inspecting some of them- picking them up and holding them up to the light and admiring their color and shine and complete uniqueness. He had come across some quartz while he was digging his bunker but nothing quite as stunning as these specimens. 

Creek’s heart beat a rhythm against his chest, he had been trying not to stare but found it hard as he could feel the excited aura radiating off Branch, and watching the normally grumpy Troll lose himself in the moment made his chest warm up pleasantly. He couldn’t help the adoring smile that curled the corners of his mouth up; he was truly appreciating the bright, child-like expression on Branch’s face, it was adorable. 

He looked back towards his bookshelf, worried he might scare the other away by staring, “You’re welcome to look through everything I have.” Creek explained, keeping his gaze focused on his collection to not off-put Branch. 

The blue Troll quickly replaced the gems to their spots and stole his expression back to its usual visage before making his way over. He was surprised as he began scanning the book bindings that he found many familiar titles; “The Legend of Glitter Hollow”, “The Troll King’s new Clothes”, “A Party Artist”- stories he had read many times to the point of nearly being able to recite them from memory, and Creek’s copies appeared to be just as worn out. 

“If I may,” Creek cuts in, and Branch straightens himself out for the other Troll to step in. He pulls out a couple slimmer looking books, “These aren’t exactly what most Trolls would prefer reading, but they are quite thrilling and by one of my most favorite authors!” He explained with a smile. 

Branch took the books and palmed through them. “Strawberry Spring”, “The Troll in the Black Suit”, and “Trollings of the Corn” were what they read, all accompanied by surprisingly dark illustrations on the front, quite the contrast to most Troll literature. “I thought if anyone else would appreciate them it would be you, Branch.” Creek added matter-of-fact. 

Branch gave him a distrusting look, still more than shell-shocked as to why Creek of all Trolls was showing such care and interest and consideration. Creek had never exactly been one of the Trolls to make fun of Branch in the past, but he had never exactly come to his rescue either, that and his initial betrayal with the Bergens still left a sour taste in his mouth when it came to the guru. There had been times over the last year or two where Creek would occasionally try to get close, but Branch was very good at driving people away, and almost always did, so why he wasn’t feeling that same urge now confused and angered him. “Okay,” He hummed, “Sounds good, but why are you doing this?” He muscled out, unable to blindly accept such attention. 

Creek seemed surprised, “Just wanted to help you out, you had a problem and I had an easy fix.” He explained with a small smile. But then he paused, his expression falling and eyes cast down, “I feel like I have a lot to make up for, Branch. To the village... to you.” Branch was surprised by the sincerity in his voice and the sadness in his eyes, having been under the assumption that Creek wasn’t really at all torn up about what he did. 

Again, Branch made a face, “To me? Specifically?” He wondered skeptically, crossing his arms. 

Creek nodded, “Of course, you were the most hurt by it, enough so that it wasn’t all that easy to help convince you I was sorry. The others,” He chuckled dryly, “The others didn’t give it a second thought, and believe me I felt guilty as hell about that for weeks, but you,” He breathed, forcing a soft smile, “You weren’t so readily forgiving and I respect that.” Branch was shocked silent yet again, so he silently stood there and studied the other Troll for any signs of dishonesty. 

“It takes a lot of self-respect and strength to admit you have a problem with something or someone,” Creek looked to Branch and couldn’t help but keep smiling at his pouty expression, “And it takes even more strength to forgive but not forget; to forgive but not disregard what someone did... or the pain they caused. And I thank you for doing just that.” He took the books from Branch’s hands and slipped them into a bag for him, “You remind me to be a better person, Branch.” Creek admitted with a grin, handing the blue Troll the bag. 

Branch’s cheeks flushed a soft pink at the suddenly soft sincerity of Creek’s tone and the dreamy expression on his face, he nervously took the bag and looked away, unsure of what to do with all this attention. “Well, I’m glad you at least know what you did was wrong.” He mumbled, kicking himself for his instinctual gruffness. He wanted to say something nicer, because truth be told, he believed Creek; he wasn’t sure why he did, but there was a tightness in his belly that he could only assume was there because he wasn’t sure how to properly thank him. “And... thank you.” Branch muscled out quickly and quietly, turning his head, embarrassed. 

Creek was quickly learning to love when Branch put up this pouty front when he was flustered. 

The door to Creek’s pod flew open and Poppy welcomed herself in, “Creek! Harper was wondering if you could go over yoga poses with her later today!” She stopped when she saw Branch, and looked at him incredulously, “Branch? Are you getting yoga lessons from Creek too?” 

Branch scoffed, “Of course not!” He spat, “I’m borrowing some of his books so I’ll be able to stay occupied the next couple weeks.” He explained, taking his things and stepping towards the door. 

Poppy stepped in his way. “Don’t tell me you’re locking yourself in for the whole of Love Fest _again_!” When Branch said nothing she groaned, “Come on Branch! This year will be better! Besides, I know someone who was hoping to ask you to the parties~” She sang, as if that would somehow sway the blue Troll. 

Branch huffed and rolled his eyes, “Even if I wanted to go, I just can’t Poppy and you know that.” He spat, his shoulders visibly tensing up as his voice rose in anger. Creek looked his way worriedly, hearing the underlying fear and apprehension in his voice in place of the typical venom and annoyance, and couldn’t help but wonder what about such an innocent time of year warranted the reaction. 

“Can’t you just come for a day? I don’t want you to feel excluded during this time of year again.” Poppy admitted sadly. 

But Branch just huffed again, “It’s fine, I have no problem being excluded from the uncomfortably grand romanticisms.” 

Creek stepped in between the two, sensing Poppy’s persistence and Branch’s agitation getting the better of them, “Queen Poppy, if I may, I was actually just talking with Branch about the subject, and we concluded instead of diving into the festivities, Branch would be much more suited to dedicating this season of love to some personal growth and meditation and perhaps feel more comfortable to attend the closing day and ceremonies with the Troll of his choice if he deems it so.” He lied through his teeth, smiling calmly the whole time. 

Branch stared at him dumbstruck while Poppy squealed, “Oh that’s wonderful Branch!” She turned and pulled him into an unwilling hug. “I for sure know I would prefer if you came every day, but spending some one-on-one time with Creek will definitely help you relax into the idea!” 

Both Creek and Branch looked at her surprised, both knowing that’s not exactly what Creek had meant, “What?” They spat in unison. 

Unfazed by the other Trolls Poppy continued to ramble, “This will be so good for you Branch! Okay, where will you guys be staying? Oh, probably Branch’s bunker-” 

“My bun-! Hang on, Poppy-!” 

“That way you won’t have to worry yourselves about coming out into the festivities for anything!” She began pacing as she talked, “I can make sure to get anything you guys might need to help Branch’s lessons, and I’ll see to it you aren’t bothered!” 

“My dear I think you’ve mistunder-” 

“C’mon Branch we’re going to figure out the details!” Poppy grabbed Branch and began pulling him out the door. 

“Poppy I don’t want to do this!” he clamored. 

The pink Troll laughed, “Of course you don’t, but I think it’s a great idea, and just be happy I’m not forcing you to go to the parties.” She explained, using a scary amount of strength to physically push Branch out the door. 

Creek could only offer a few stuttered words and an apologetic look to Branch as they retreated and he was left alone. 

///////// 

Creek was waiting outside of Branch’s bunker a couple days later, he was holding a box with some of his essentials and other stuff in it. His chest was tight with anxiety and he knew he’d have to do some serious meditating to be rid of it. Poppy had decided that Creek was going to stay with Branch for the weeks of courting season and help him find inner peace (Poppy had actually said “help him learn how to love again” but Creek found that concept a little much and didn’t want Branch to get the wrong idea) So he was nervously waiting for Poppy and Branch to arrive so they could start this mess. 

He didn’t know what to make of it, he felt stupid for even starting this lie in the first place; his initial cause was to hopefully bail Branch out of the situation he was in, and to make a good excuse so Poppy wouldn’t push him out of his comfort zone. Something about romance and courting season obviously put him off but Poppy, bless her heart for wanting to include her friends, didn’t seem to acknowledge that and he knew she would keep pushing until Branch couldn’t handle it. But it hadn’t worked; he had lied to his friend, and it didn’t even work, and now Creek was quite sure Branch was going to be furious at him the entire time they were stuck together. It could not have gone any worse and he wishes he had kept his mouth shut. 

Poppy and Branch appeared in the next few minutes toting some extra groceries and things in bags. Creek tried to offer an apologetic look to Branch but the shorter Troll looked away. 

It was terse and awkward for Creek as they all trailed into Branch’s home and Poppy ran over her own personal checklist as to what she wanted Branch to work on. Branch, on his part, kept his typical demeanor in place as his friend ranted, rolling his eyes and probably ignoring most of what she was saying. 

“This is just going to be so great for you Branch! I can’t wait to see you guys at the festival!” Poppy concluded, jerking the lever for the lift and riding it back up. Once the motors for the lift stopped, the bunker was left with a deafening silence that had Branch’s pulse beating loudly in his ears. 

Standing awkwardly a few feet away, Creek tried to think of the best way to open the conversation, considering he hadn’t even been able to get past Poppy to talk to Branch in the last couple of days. He sighed and nervously folded his hands together, “I can’t say this is what I had in mind.” He chuckled. 

Branch turned and started putting away the groceries and produce, silently tucking each thing to its rightful place, and noticeably straining to get things on the taller shelves. In his head, Branch’s thoughts were racing and he wanted to tear into Creek for causing this: why had he lied? Why did he try to cover for him? But more importantly why was he not angrier at him for this? He hesitated while putting something in the cupboard; he really wasn’t angry _at_ Creek, just the situation and the awkward anxiety he felt towards it. 

“It doesn’t matter what you had in mind,” Branch started gruffly, but paused for a moment to collect his thoughts and remind himself this circumstance was 90% Poppy’s doing, “It happened, and it is what it is but hey; at least we don’t have to kid ourselves now that we’re alone, right?” He chuckled dryly, “I know you don’t want to be stuck here with _me_ as much as I wish I was alone.” Which wasn’t all the way true, Branch did feel terribly lonely most days but refused to admit it to himself and certainly not anyone else. 

Creek was taken aback for a moment; of course Branch wanted to be left alone, that’s the kind of Troll he’s always been- but did he truly think Creek didn’t want to be around him? True they had never been partners in crime, and Creek had a lot of proving himself to do before Branch would consider him a friend, but Creek _had_ just spilled his heart out to Branch about how he felt the other day, so he figured Branch would know he intended to be a better person to him. 

Creek took a careful step towards Branch, careful not to get too into his personal space, “Branch I don’t mind being around you,” He bit his lip and smiled, “In fact even if this isn’t the most ideal of circumstances; I’m quite happy to spend some time with you.” He explained, hoping he wouldn’t overwhelm the other with his enthusiasm. 

Branch turned from what he was doing and just stared at Creek for a moment, confusion and turmoil set in his features. After a while though he seemed to grow anxious and turned back to putting everything away. Feeling bad for being an intrusion, Creek stepped closer and began helping put the groceries away. It was pretty simple to see how Branch was doing it; greens went into the crisper, potatoes and onions on the lowest shelf out of the light, carrots and tomatoes and most of the rest of the veggies and fruits went in the refrigerator. They both actually found a comfortable rhythm in the action and worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes. 

Amongst the quiet shuffling of their chore Branch spoke up, “I’m sorry you’re missing Courting Season and Poppy’s ‘Love Festival’ just because you were trying to cover for me.” 

Creek smiled softly, his chest fluttering happily knowing his initial intent hadn’t gone unnoticed, “Oh no problem,” He hummed, “Truth be told I don’t have anyone to enjoy it with, nor has anyone in the village thus far stricken my fancy, so I was planning on spending the next couple weeks alone anyway.” He cast a glance over to Branch who was looking at his a little befuddled, “At least I have a bit of company now, yeah?” 

Branch closed the cabinet he was sorting and turned towards the taller Troll, “You? You don’t have a mate? A partner? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Nothing?” He chuckled, finding the joke sort of funny in a dull way. But Creek gave him a gentle nod and Branch realized it wasn’t a joke. “I’m... sorry.” He said awkwardly. 

Creek shook his head, “Don’t be! I’m quite content with my life. I have everything I need.” He smiled and went to the box he had brought down with him and pulled out a six pack of Stoutberry juice like the one he had bought Branch earlier that week, “I brought more juice since we’ll be here a while.” He pulled out a few other, unmarked bottles and stored them in the refrigerator, “You’re welcome to any of the stuff I’ve brought with me. I figure it’s the least I can offer since I’ll be imposing for so long.” He gave a small bow. 

Branch rubbed his arm, “That’s unnecessary but... thanks, I appreciate it.” He allowed himself a small smile. 

Creek turned back to his things, trying to ignore the thrum in his chest and how good it felt to see Branch smile. “Where would you like me to store this stuff so it won’t be in the way?” He asked with a cough. 

Perking up a bit, Branch stepped out into the hall, “C’mon I’ll show you.” So down the hall they walked, passing a couple other rooms including one that looked like a living room with a TV, a library, some sort of junk room, and what was probably a bathroom, until they reached a spruce wood door and Branch nudged it open and motioned Creek inside. 

The interior was the same rock walls that the whole bunker was carved out of, but the furniture was all a seafoam stained wood and was adorned with different plants and some other Knick knacks like an hour glass, hand carved book ends, an incense holder and so-on. The plants even had special lamps to simulate sunlight. Creek was astounded at how much it resembled his pod, “Branch, did you make all this?” 

From behind him Branch flushed pink and crossed his arms, “Yeah I, uh, took the inspiration from your pod when I visited the other day, and thought it might make you feel at home.” He muttered, “I dun’know I’m sorry if it’s weird. It’s just something I threw together, I understand if you don’t like it but it’s all I got for ya’ now so-” 

“Branch!” Creek cut in and took the shorter Troll’s hands, “I love it, just relax, my dear, you don’t need to stress so much around me, okay?” He explained kindly, releasing Branch’s hands and stepping further into the room to explore. 

Branch felt heat flush to his face and for once it wasn’t from anger, he rubbed his palms together, his mind stuck on how soft Creek’s hands were. Creek turned back to look at him, “Thank you Branch, it’s perfect.” he admitted happily. Then a determined look crossed his face, “I insist on cooking you dinner tonight.” He stated matter-of-fact. 

Chuckling, Branch waved a hand at him, “That’s really not necessary-” 

“I insist, really! It won’t be super exciting, I’d just love to do something nice for you to show my appreciation for you allowing me to stay here, and in such comfort.” Creek explained. 

Branch scoffed lightheartedly, “Poppy is making you stay here, I can’t really say I’m ‘letting you’.” 

Creek laughed good-naturedly, “You and I both know if you really wanted me gone, I would be gone already.” There was a playfulness in his tone that had Branch’s face heating up again, but he couldn’t deny the truth to that statement and so conceded with a shrug, and stepped out of the room to allow Creek to settle. 

He stalked down the hallway to his own room and quickly shut the door, unsure of what _that_ had been and why seemingly every other word out of Creek’s mouth was twisting him up inside. Even though he was alone, Branch put a hand over his mouth and stared at the ground contemplatively, his mind racing over that spirited jab and the brief contact they made and trying to deduce what was happening; quite sure he must have been getting sick. 

And alone down the hall Creek had his back pressed against his door worrying that last comment had been a _little_ too much. 

///////// 

Branch looked up from where he was scribbling in his journal when a warm, delicious smell wafted into his room, he eagerly sniffed at the air and hummed happily to himself as his belly grumbled in appreciation. He meandered out and into the kitchen where he saw Creek standing at the stove, going back and forth between something on the skillet and chopping vegetables on the cutting board. He was singing something softly, under his breath, and Branch recognized it as a gentle melody that would sometimes play on the speakers at the library. 

Between the song and the smell, Branch felt himself relax, and he went to the cabinet to grab glasses for water. Creek glanced his way when he heard shuffling but continued his food prep, quite happy with how everything was turning out; he had decided on black bean and veggie burgers and garden salad as a simple, but still delicious first meal. The patties were just finishing simmering on the skillet and they smelled perfect and spicy, so he quickly plated them and the salads, and picked up both plates and turned to Branch. “And where would you prefer us to enjoy dinner tonight?” He wondered lightly. 

Branch gave him a crooked, confused smile, “Uhm, right here?” He gestured to the small dining table against the other wall of the kitchen. He found the question quite odd, but he took a moment to think about it, reminding himself to be kinder, “Is there another place you normally eat?” He wondered hesitantly. 

Creek perked up a bit, “Well I always find it a little better on the soul to switch up routine, so I only use a table maybe once a week.” He explained, “Other days I like to maybe sit on the couch, or my bed, or just the floor, wherever I feel the best experience may be.” He said wistfully. 

Still a bit put-off by the spirituality of the other Troll, Branch nodded, trying to understand whatever mumbo-jumbo he was saying, and looked around; he had never eaten anywhere other than at the table, he supposed maybe eating elsewhere would be an interesting experience. “Do you think maybe bean bag chairs would be a good _’experience’_ for dinner?” He said with a light chuckle. 

“That sounds delightful.” Creek nodded, actually somewhat excited. 

Branch led them to his library, which was really just a small room that was spectacularly cozy feeling: there were two big bookshelves packed full of books, a very puffy couch against one wall with every blanket imaginable on it, and three massive bean bag chairs in the middle of the floor on a beautiful warm-toned throw rug. The room was lit with soft yellow string-lights that traced the walls of the room but weren’t too bright. 

“I love the energy in here.” Creek hummed as he stepped in, taking a good look around and breathing deeply to fully experience the paper and linen smell of the room. “So peaceful, I could fall asleep right now.” He joked, inspecting one of the bean bag chairs and patting it with his free hand before carefully sitting down. 

Branch followed suit and sat in the one next to him, “Yeah that’s kind of the point.” He said fondly, poking at his salad, “I...uh,” He faltered, not used to sharing with anyone, not knowing if Creek would care to listen, and nervous he might make himself seem weak. “Uhm, I have trouble sleeping-” He blurted out a bit awkwardly, “So at night I come in here and read... and it helps me fall asleep.” He was intent on staring at his food and not looking at Creek, afraid of the look he might get. After a few quiet minutes he added, “That’s why it’s so cozy in here.” His face went red with embarrassment and he suddenly wished he hadn’t said anything. 

“That’s lovely, Branch.” Creek said quietly, smiling kindly when the anxious little Troll turned to look at him. He gingerly reached out and made gentle contact with Branch’s arm, “Thank you for sharing with me.” He said pointedly and retracted his hand after Branch started to flinch away from it. “I also have problems sleeping most days. Because I spend so many hours in a meditative state...” He looked at Branch and shrugged with a smile, “My sleep schedule goes to hell.” He laughed. 

Again, it felt very strange to be around this version of Creek, the version that curses and talks negatively about things, but it was also oddly refreshing and helped Branch not be a constantly wound-up, nervous mess. “Tell me about it. I accidentally pull all-nighters all the time working and then I accidentally sleep through an entire day, and that just fucks up my whole week.” Branch admitted, and both he and Creek laughed at the relatability and truthfulness of the statement. 

They continued eating dinner together, occasionally able to take moments in between bites of food to compare experiences; they both found out that more than one Troll in the village thoroughly annoyed them both on a regular basis, and despite Creek’s patience of a saint, even he would find himself avoiding the likes of Cooper and Poppy if he just couldn’t handle their energy that day. Creek explained one instance where he pretended to be ‘in a meditative trance’ for 3 hours to avoid a “Pie-in-you-face" party that Smidge was throwing. Branch laughed so hard at that one he all but spit out a mouthful of water, and Creek tried really hard not to love his laugh, although he definitely wanted to hear it more. 

Their dinners were long since eaten but they hadn’t stopped talking, one eagerly taking the story telling reigns as soon as the other finished. Creek was incredibly content with his head on his hand and fondly watched Branch open up and tell his stories, having never known the blue Troll to be so full of this fun energy. He took great pride in guessing this was a side of Branch no one got to see anymore, and he was ready to protect it by any means. 

“Wow, Creek, I never thought in a million years you’d be _this freakin' petty_!” Branch exclaimed, setting his empty plate aside. 

Creek put a hand on his chest in mock-offense, “Excuse me if I need a bit of time to myself mister ‘I live in a hole but still pretend I sprained my ankle to get out of basic social events.’!” He laughed in response. 

With a flourish, Branch raised a finger at him, “Hey, that time I was getting out of a Potluck. You know what Trolls bring to potlucks? Baked goods and candy, and that’s it! It’s not healthy!” He was trying really hard to sound angry but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face or the laugh that followed. 

Creek rose and collected his and Branch’s empty plates and strode across the hall to the kitchen to place them in the sink, he took a moment to shake off his giggles and take a deep breath before returning. He found Branch re-settling into his bean bag chair with one of the books he had given him. The initial impulse was to ask him which one it was and tell him what was so wonderful about it, but Creek reeled himself back, realizing Branch probably wouldn’t appreciate that, and after how well the evening was going, he didn’t want to disturb the friendly aura of their shared space. 

He quietly padded up and sat himself a couple feet away on the rug, folding his legs together in front of him and resting his elbows on his knees. He began silently meditating to start bringing his core back into alignment, quite content listening to Branch’s soft breaths and gentle page-flips. 

“Dinner was really good... thank you.” Branch muttered tersely after some time, seeming to have somewhat retreated into his shell again. Creek didn’t mind, and he knew one nice conversation wasn’t going to completely change Branch’s demeanor around him, but it was a good step, and he could feel contentedness coming off of Branch. He peaked open an eye at the smaller Troll, smiling and biting his lip after he saw the adorable little ball Branch was curled up into on his bean bag. 

“You’re quite welcome.” Creek replied softly, and left it at that, also sensing Branch had become a little too overwhelmed during dinner and was coming down from it. They remained that way in peaceful, comfortable silence until Branch explained he was thoroughly tired and left for bed, leaving the book on the chair to come back to, Creek wasn’t far behind him in going to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter for you all, thanks to all the amazing comments and support I've gotten so far! Hopefully I can post chapter regularly at about this interval!

Branch woke up late the following morning, his nerves needing the recharge after being completely overworked the previous day. He lazily got himself up, hesitant to get out of his warm bed, but eventually he slinked out from under the covers and stretched out the cricks in his arms and back. He tiredly ran his fingers through his hair, which he wasn't quite ready to properly fix for the day, and padded over to the bathroom across the hall to do his morning routine. 

From the living room Creek heard the shuffle of movement in the other room but did little more than crack open an eye to peek at Branch disappearing into the bathroom- he otherwise kept his perfectly still Tree Pose and waited for his host to come out for the day. Amongst his quiet humming, he listened to the shower running and Branch singing on the other side of the wall and couldn’t help but smile. 

It was nearing half an hour before Branch emerged in a puff of steam from the bathroom, Creek opened his eyes and cast his gaze down the hall, “Good morning.” He said with a slight bow as he dropped from his yoga poses and trekked into the kitchen. Branch gave him a soft grin and hesitant nod in return, and Creek was immediately enraptured by his sleepy eyes and wanted to do nothing more than comb through that messy blue mop of hair for him. The thoughts brought color to Creek’s cheeks so he occupied himself with retrieving the plate of eggs and toast he had set for the other Troll, handing them to him with a flourish. 

Branch seemed surprised by the offering but mumbled a quiet ‘thank you’ before sitting himself at the table. He could feel a warmth swirling in his chest at the domesticity of the morning, but he tried to push it down. As he ate, he debated on the right things he could say to initiate a conversation, although he quickly realized what a terrible conversationalist he was since he couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t mundane or awkwardly personal. 

There was a knock that resounded throughout the bunker, and Creek looked to Branch confusedly, although the blue Troll was just as confused as to who could be calling so early. Branch rose and hurried to the lift, for some reason not minding when Creek briskly followed suit. 

“Poppy?” Branch was surprised to find the Troll queen at his door with the most shit-eating grin he had ever seen. He glanced back at Creek who looked just as confused, they exchanged unknowing looks and turned back expectantly. “Wasn’t the whole point of this nonsense so you wouldn’t bother us?” 

Poppy was practically vibrating where she stood, “I know I know, and I’m sorry, but I realized I sent you down there to get ready for the festival without even letting your possible suitor talk with you!” She beamed. 

“Possible suitor?” Branch and Creek said in unison with about the same amount of shock and irritation. 

Poppy stepped to the side to reveal a familiar face holding a boquet of flowers. “Guy?” Branch sputtered. 

Guy Diamond closed the gap, and Branch took a few small steps back to keep his distance. The glitter Troll, truth be told, appeared to be reeling his normally extra flamboyant personality back for the time being and gave a soft, sincere look to Branch as he offered him the flowers. Branch’s face went red, from being both flustered and embarrassed, and he stiffly took the flowers and held them awkwardly. “Branch, I know this is a lot for you but,” Guy began, taking a brief pause to try and reach for the blue Troll’s hand, although Branch made no move to make contact so Guy dropped his arms. 

Creek found himself bristling when he saw Guy give Branch a very not-so-innocent once-over with his eyes, and he crossed his arms huffily, trying to recite his inner mantra of peace and patience. 

“I really want to be closer with you, Branch,” Guy continued in that sickly smooth accent, “I can assure you I would make an excellent partner.” He bowed low in front of a still very uncomfortable-looking Branch, who continued to look between Poppy and Creek for some sort of rescue line. His chest was wound tight, and not the same tight that Creek’s presence made him feel, but an anxious grip on his heart that was raising his pulse and making everything go blurry. Guy righted himself and leaned in to softly add, “And if you’re worried about it; I’m also completely ready for the responsibilities of siring.” 

Suddenly, Creek felt himself get grabbed by the hand and yanked back into the bunker’s entrance, momentarily distracting him from the anger he felt as soon as Guy had said that. Branch slammed the hatch shut with just enough time to hear Poppy call out, _”Okay! Keep working on it Branch! We’ll see you in a couple weeks!”_ And without a word, Branch jerked the lever of the lift and they began descending back into the Bunker. 

Branch’s cheeks burned with nothing but flustered embarrassment; it was bad enough Poppy was making him and Creek bunk up, but then she goes and brings someone like Guy around right as he was thinking this maybe might not be such a horrible time. His mind raced with all the things he had to say about that, about Guy wanting to be with him and all the ways he doubted it would work, and the millions of different ways that initial proposal could have gone much smoother. He could have properly taken Branch out to a meal, talked it over with him and seen where their expectations diverged or intersected and how compatible they could be as partners. Especially considering Guy seemed to have a pretty set ending in mind for their theoretical coupling, all without even having the common decency to talk with him in private about it! Branch wasn’t ready to deal with it, he was just getting used to Creek’s presence, now his mind was this swirling mess of anxiety and uncertainty, knowing he was expected to come out in two weeks completely willing to be courted by Guy; he wondered if he could just drop off the face of the earth and pretend so much wasn’t being expected of him, to pretend like he wouldn’t be letting people down if he just dropped dead- 

“Branch.” Creek’s calm voice cut through his mind’s nervous chatter, and only then did the blue Troll realize he was shaking. He allowed himself to relax when he felt Creek’s hand on his lower back, gently guiding him forward and back into the living room where he was sat down amongst the blankets on the couch. “Well that wasn’t a good way to start the day was it?” Creek chuckled softly as he knelt in front of Branch. Branch allowed a small shake of his head as he took a deep breath and began to ease into the softness of the cushions, “There we go, let it out. I’ll fetch you some juice to get your energies back on the right path, yeah?” With that, Creek hastily stepped into the other room to retrieve a Stoutberry juice from the refrigerator and gave it to Branch. 

For a few minutes, Creek stayed knelt in front of Branch, keeping one hand on his knee to help stabilize him as he drank his juice and came down off his nervous high. Branch opened his eyes and took in another deep breath, his heart rate having finally calmed down and his hands no longer wound into angry fists. He could see clearly again, and the first thing he saw was Creek smiling at him kindly, his indigo eyes showing no signs of judgment, impatience or anger, just compassion and understanding. Their proximity made Branch’s face flush so he quickly jerked himself into a more upright position. 

“I can’t believe Guy is the ‘secret admirer’ Poppy was talking about.” Branch groaned, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. “The guy is a serial romantic, and I doubt he would settle down with the likes of me.” He said huffily, crossing his arms and staring up at the ceiling as if he did so hard enough then the glitter Troll could feel his disbelief. 

Creek stood and crossed his arms behind his back, “Never thought I would have seen it myself.” He mused, “Guy Diamond, most eligible bachelor in Troll Village, wanting to settle down with the village genius who refuses to wear normal clothes most days.” He snickered when Branch scoffed. 

Even though he was incredible flattered at being called a ‘genius’ Branch wasn’t about to let that one slide, “My clothes are functional, and they keep me camouflaged. Can’t say the same for you and your dinner-bell pants.” Branch clapped back. 

Creek sputtered, “Dinner bell?” He laughed. 

“Yeah, they’re obnoxious enough to have any predator looking your way like you’re a colorful snack.” Branch snapped, and the two paused before sharing a laugh at each other’s expense. 

After a few moments, Creek reached out and hooked a finger under Branch’s chin and met his eyes fondly, “Now there’s a smile to start off the day with.” He surprised himself as the desire to kiss him rose, but he blamed it on the time of year and released his loose hold on the blue Troll. He then turned and resumed meditating for the time-being, trying to ward away the anger that had struck him during their meeting with Poppy and Guy, unaware of the furiously blushing mess that was Branch sitting on the couch. 

///////// 

Branch padded into the living room the next day around lunch, the previous day proceeded with Branch putting himself in self-proclaimed solitude to clear his head, Creek had grown worried after a few hours and insisted upon meditating in the same room as Branch. The blue Troll said very little, even when prompted his responses were curt and whispered as he was much too involved in the inner-workings of his own mind. Creek understood, this wasn’t his first time around with someone with low-functioning anxiety and it probably wouldn’t be his last; Branch needed a cool-down period before Creek felt comfortable intervening, and the purple Troll was quite content to be a solid, fixed point for Branch until then. 

When Branch would grumble and stalk into his work room to tinker, Creek would silently follow, standing nearby and handing him things that were just out of reach. When Branch went to do inventory, Creek went in front of him and lined everything up so he wouldn’t get too overwhelmed, and was happy to help him count out any of the supplies that were too numerous for one spacey Troll to handle. He had to pull Branch away from his mindless work to eat dinner that night, he made something easy to eat which consisted of chopped potatoes and veggies all roasted and served together, so Branch would have an easier time eating while he was still spaced-out. 

At some point in the evening, Branch had dropped what he was doing and walked to his room, not responding when Creek bid him a good night, leaving the guru to worriedly hope his friend would get some sleep. 

So, after about a day’s worth of unsuccessful attempts to clear his head, Branch was hoping to perhaps find something around that could occupy him and give him even a short relief from the anxieties plaguing his mind. He hadn’t been able to shake the weird, gut-churning feeling he had that previous morning, his thoughts completely stuck on the idea of Guy wanting to court him and... the other things he said. Branch found his temporary roommate lounging on the couch with a book, but as soon as Branch entered the room, he put it down and greeted him. 

Creek went to say a passing hello before he took in the look on Branch’s face; his features were all pulled down, his brows knit together anxiously, and his bottom lip being chewed on enough to leave marks; Creek knew Branch was at the point of needing someone to intervene, and that he had done what he could by himself and now needed external support. “What Guy said earlier still bothering you?” He wondered, trying to be gentle because he knew it was bound to be a touchy subject. 

Branch flinched at hearing what he was thinking out loud, he didn’t much feel like spilling his emotions onto Creek, and was slightly annoyed he was no longer allowed to wander his own home anxiously, as he would normally, without being interrupted. His mind was pulling him out of the room that was already occupied, urging him to find what little solace he could under his covers in his room- but he didn’t leave, he walked forward and sat himself on the couch next to Creek and crossed his arms. “Yeah.” He pouted. 

Creek let out a soft sound and turned to sit cross-legged on the couch facing the blue Troll and held out his hands. “Come here.” He requested quietly. 

Turning to look at the guru, Branch gave him an incredulous look, “I am here.” He snapped. 

But Creek wasn’t fazed by his dumpy attitude and smiled kindly, he then reached out and ushered the smaller Troll to face him, and eventually Branch got the hint and crossed his legs and mimicked Creek’s pose. “I would love permission to show you a simple meditative breathing technique that might help you relax.” He explained, keeping eye contact with Branch. 

On his part, Branch wasn’t thrilled at the idea of being dragged into some crazy yoga nonsense, he frankly wasn’t in the mood, but maybe it was Creek’s confidence or his respective but pleading eye contact that made him think it might not be a bad idea to try something new. “I guess.” He finally mumbled after a few seconds. 

Creek hummed happily, “It’s not hard, it’s something I do when the world around me has gotten a little too overwhelming.” His voice was as calm as it always was, but there was an eagerness to his tone that was rather charming and proved how much genuine love he had for his practices. “First I want you to close your eyes.” Branch made a face at him, and Creek chuckled, “Just do it, silly.” 

Begrudgingly, Branch obliged. “Now, I want you to follow me as we level out our breathing, I’ll be right here to tell you what to do every step of the way.” Creek explained, and Branch felt the corners of his mouth threatening to pull into a smile as the warmth of the promise hit him. “So first we’re going to breath in for 1, 2, 3, 4, hold for, 2, 3, 4 and then out, 2, 3, 4, 5.” Creek continued to repeat himself in that pattern, the calm of his voice never faltering, and Branch began to ease himself into the moment, actually finding that breathing in time was very calming; his limbs were buzzing from his lack of movement but it was relaxing and focusing on something other than this courting nonsense was a nice relief. 

“Wonderful,” Creek said wistfully, “Now we can return our breathing to a normal rhythm, as we continue our wind-down.” He let his eyes drift open to check on Branch, smiling at how hard the blue Troll was focusing even just on a breathing exercise; he surmised that was just Branch’s ambition shining through. “To begin the next step, we are going to sit up just a bit straighter to help our bodies align.” Creek straightened himself out and continued to keep his gaze on Branch to make sure he was okay, he watched the shorter Troll sit up, but bend his back too far forward- a typical mistake for anyone who doesn’t know better. 

Creek leant forward and gently splayed his hand over Branch’s belly, and reached the other around to the small of his back, “Don’t arch your back so much, love, pull in your chest and think of your spine being a straight line from your head to your hips.” He began applying gentle pressure to Branch’s front to help maneuver him into a better position. 

Branch sucked in a breath as he felt the hands on him, they were soft and warm and oh-so gentle but they made the skin where they touched burn. His skin prickled with goose bumps as those deft fingers brushed over his body as he was rearranged to sit differently. Once his back was aligned, he felt Creek briefly move his hand up to his chest, and he prayed the guru couldn’t feel his heart beating harshly in his chest, while he simultaneously almost melted into the firm but caring pressure he was being given. 

Creek blushed when he heard Branch make a small, likely involuntary moan when he moved his hand up to his chest, he decided not to address it to save Branch the embarrassment- he knew Branch especially would be uncomfortable were it to be brought to light, so despite the swirling in his chest, he said nothing. 

“There we are. Now starting at your feet, I want you to take a breath to release the tension throughout each part of your body. So first let your feet ease off the strain, they’ve carried you for so long and need the rest,” Creek hummed, once again closing his eyes and bringing his focus back to the meditation, knowing his priority was to help Branch feel better about the situation. “Then your ankles and calves, there should be a lot of pressure there, so take a moment to let it melt away.” He hummed, listening to Branch’s timed, but still a bit choppy breaths. 

Branch followed as well as he could, finding a great deal of comfort in Creek’s undivided attention as well as the soft lilt to his voice as he gave instructions. He was never fond of people talking at him, but this was calming... but how had he never noticed how nice Creek’s voice was to listen to? 

“Then going up to your shoulders and upper back, this is where you carry most of your stress. So, I want you to breath in with me for 2, 3, 4, and then out slowly for 2, 3, 4, 5. Just letting your muscles there relax and fall to a resting position, and just not thinking about them as we continue.” Again, Creek peeked open his eyes to watch his student, smiling as he could practically see the tension in Branch fall out of his posture. “Excellent, now just continue up, and relax your jaw and let your face muscles take a break, erase that tension between your eyes and let it all go slack.” 

Branch felt heat go to his face as he knew Creek was looking at him, he could feel it, but he brushed it off and did as he was told; his whole body, now relaxed, felt fuzzy all over and his muscles buzzed from finally getting a break. It was disheartening just how different he felt than normal, comparatively he must always be a wound-up mess if _this_ was what being relaxed felt like. In a way he felt vulnerable- eyes closed, body slack, completely at the mercy of anything that could sneak up on him, and normally, he highly doubted he would ever let his guard down like this around anyone. 

“Amazing job, Branch.” Creek’s comforting, reassuring voice broke through his anxiety, “You did brilliantly for your first time!” The guru said excitedly, mindful to keep his tone soft despite the joyful buzz in his chest. 

Branch opened his eyes for the first time in the last few minutes, and much like before, the first thing that greeted him was Creek, still smiling, just as understanding and calm as always, nothing but care in his eyes. Branch quickly averted his gaze to avoid prolonged eye contact, not yet understanding why such a look mixed with their proximity made his insides twist. 

“Feel better?” Creek asked, laying the slightest touch to the blue Troll’s knee. Branch gave a stiff nod and flinched away from the contact, but Creek quickly pulled his hand back, “Good. I’d love to help you through a proper yoga session sometime, if that’s something you would ever feel comfortable with.” 

Branch contemplated this for a minute, was he really interested in doing yoga? No, not at all. 

He glanced up at Creek, admiring his sparkly freckles against the lilac skin, his calm expression, all the wonderful things he’s said just in the past couple days that made Branch feel like he was actually worthwhile. 

No, he wasn’t interested in yoga. But he was growing fonder of Creek’s personal attention, and being around him, by the minute. “Yeah, I think that’d be nice.” He admitted trying to ignore the heat on his skin. 

Creek nodded, folding his hands together in front of him, “Now, do you think you’re in the right headspace to talk things over?” He wondered, studying the blue Troll’s expression, “I know it was all a ruse between us, but... Poppy did give me orders to help you out with this stuff, y’know, spend quality time with the village yoga instructor to help teach you about love.” He joked, and he and Branch shared a brief, lighthearted chuckle. After a moment, Creek stole his expression and let out a small sigh, “I’m not exactly the love expert Poppy thinks I am, truth be told I’ve never held down a relationship for more than a year, but...” He turned his gaze on Branch and smiled, “I want to see you happy again, someday. I remember how you were when we were growing up; always singing, laughing, and so many ideas.” 

His voice was thoughtful and full of emotion as he spoke, “Well I suppose you’re still full of ideas, aren’t you?” Creek chuckled and looked at Branch longingly, “I would like to help you gain that confidence back. Even if that means all the help I can give is someone to listen to your fears, or someone to come to when the day has been a bit too much for you to handle on your own.” _Even if that means I’m not in the picture. Even if that means I have to watch someone else take care of you._ Creek thought bitterly, no longer worried about his possessiveness being too apparent, because there was a spark burning away in his chest that he was quickly realizing is more than friendship, its more than his natural paternal disposition, and it's much more than anything like pity. “I’ll be here for you.” He admitted sincerely, putting as much protectiveness and compassion as he could into just a few words. 

Branch didn’t speak for a minute or so, too busy being whisked away on the wave of emotion that crashed through his chest, Creek’s normally cheerfully calm voice was dripping with emotions so heavy that it was truthfully a force to be reckoned with. Nobody had talked to Branch like that in a long time, and while it made painful memories bubble to the forefront of his thoughts, it also filled him with the warmth and light that Creek radiated; in it was instilled promises that he yearned to be told, and truths he wanted to be true. 

He bit his lip and looked away. But it was a lot to take in, it certainly wasn’t expected, and the heaviness of the moment pushed in on Branch’s core and threatened to concave his chest. The wild dogs of fear nipped at his heels and reminded him of the last time words like that were spoken to him, and the pain they hath wrought that helped shape who he is today. 

Those were the two sides to Branch’s coin, and he was all too familiar with them. Because there were parts of him that desired love and affection and genuine friendships and all the niceties and situations that came with them. But the darkest parts of him, the parts that held tight to the memories of being hurt and dragged through the mud, the parts that were broken and abused, refused to let anything good happen. This limbo state plagued him, because with every nice word he knew there must be a curse, and with every compliment he could only remember abuse, and it was nearly impossible to find sincerity and love in other people’s words because he was so convinced that he had done something to deserve otherwise. 

“Yeah,” Branch gulped, steeling his flurry of emotion and grinding it between his teeth as the beast inside him wound it’s claws around his heart in an anxious vice-grip. “I appreciate it.” He took in a shaky breath and put a hand over his chest where he could feel his heart beating an angry rhythm. He liked hearing these things Creek was promising him, adored them actually, and though that brought fear shooting like a bolt through his chest, he was on the path to righting what was wronged, he was here with Creek to move past this; and if he were honest with himself, he felt near-invincible with Creek there, like nothing would hurt him, and like maybe...just maybe, he could talk about what happened to him and not be judged for it. 

He guessed that was why Creek was the village’s spiritual guide. 

“I wouldn’t know where to start... with talking things over, I mean.” Branch mumbled, shifting himself to sink into the couch. 

Creek hummed thoughtfully, casting his gaze around the room as he thought about it, “Well, I know you probably don’t trust me yet.” He admitted lightly, “So why don’t we just talk about what Guy said, and how that made you feel?” He offered. 

Branch flushed as the glitter Troll’s offer rushed back to the front of his mind, “It made me _feel_ pissed off.” He muttered angrily, his anxieties flushed away for the moment as annoyance took over. 

Creek couldn’t help but chuckle at that, “Of course you are, love. But let’s take a step back from the entirety of the situation and look at it part-by-part.” He explained softly. He waited a moment for Branch to give him a nod, “Right. So,” He paused, realizing how much disdain he had for what had happened, “So... Guy Diamond... Is he someone you could, theoretically, see yourself with?” Getting that out had been much more difficult than he had expected. 

Again, Branch bristled and crossed his arms, he opened his mouth to react but stopped himself and thought it over for a few minutes, fidgeting with his shirt and swinging his legs around restlessly, “Maybe...” He mumbled after some deliberation, deciding, of all the Trolls, Guy was one of the more thoughtful, regardless of his exuberant and arrogant nature. 

Branch had never thought of anyone in the village romantically, something as frivolous as a relationship was not high on the necessities for survival, and he had only just started to get used to the idea of “friends”. He took a moment to mull over his thoughts, suddenly bombarded with scenarios he might find himself in with Guy, and where they could be a couple years from now. Would Branch like having his hand held? Would he accept consistent physical contact from someone like Guy? How much wild romanticism could he put up with before going crazy? Could he even be around someone as wild as Guy Diamond without becoming overwhelmed? 

Creek cocked his head and smiled calmly at Branch, the blue Troll’s eyebrows were knit together and his fingers dug into the skin on his arms, he was overthinking things again. “I can see those cogs turning.” Creek said, breaking the silence and booping Branch on the nose, which seemed to draw him out of his thoughts. “Stop it.” He chuckled, coaxing Branch’s arms out and holding his hands tight, “I know you worry about the future, but just let yourself roll with this one; you can’t prepare for love, it happens when it happens and it hits you like a train when it does.” He released the other’s hands and grinned, “But until then we can try to broaden your perspective on it.” 

Branch was still for a moment, the physical contact jarring him just a bit, but then he snorted out a laugh, “You underestimate me, I can prep for anything.” He said matter-of-fact, earning a quiet chuckle from Creek which made his heart swirl happily.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot fucking _thickens_

A couple hours had gone by and Branch was left sitting on the couch with his face in his hands, his cheeks were bright red from the embarrassment of talking about all this _courting_ nonsense. It was very hard for him to articulate exactly _what_ he was feeling; anger and embarrassment, of course. But there was another feeling, an excitement and willingness that made his heart thrum eagerly in his chest, it wasn’t unwelcome but it was certainly new, and Branch tried to explain how he wasn’t sure if it was just because knowing someone wanted him got him flustered, or if it was because maybe he actually felt some chemistry between him and Guy. 

Creek sat patiently and listened to each jumbled mess of words and curses that could have been called sentences, each one punctuated with Branch lashing out at a pillow or flopping back in defeat. And now they had reached, what was probably, the most troublesome part of the conversation, and Branch was hiding in his hands to avoid it as long as he could. 

Eventually, he sighed and sat up straight, his eyes focused ahead to the other side of the room and not at Creek. He had a rather serious look on his face, and Creek tried not to smile at his red cheeks and grumpy expression. “I don’t...” He began, but stopped and started chewing on his bottom lip nervously, “I don’t know if I’m ready to even start thinking about carrying.” He muscled out, turning his face away as he blushed impossibly redder. “Even if that’s what Guy wants of me I just...” He gripped the back of his neck in frustration and sighed, “My whole life has always been about protecting myself, and only recently, has it included protecting all of you.” His voice shook slightly under the strain of his emotions as they all flooded into the forefront of his thoughts. “I just don’t know if I could handle a kid.” He flopped his arms to his sides, now casting his hundred-yard stare at the floor. 

Creek frowned and his eyebrows scrunched up in worry, he couldn’t completely relate to what Branch must be feeling and it bothered him. This was not the first time someone had needed help on the topic of procreation, and it wasn’t the first time Creek had felt unsuitable to help. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many Trolls would come to him with relationship problems, and many would ask for advice or meditation to help them make a decision about having kids- and most of those who visited him were carriers. Creek wasn’t a carrier. And he would always muddle his way through what he understood about bearing children and help whoever was there feel better and muster up confidence to make the decision for themselves as if he were some unqualified midwife. 

Despite how unqualified he felt on the topic, he wanted to help Branch feel better, no matter what his decision would turn out to be, “This isn’t something you have to decide on right now,” He explained softly, reaching out and touching Branch’s knee, “This is something you would consider with your partner, a long time from now. So, you don’t have to be sure right this minute, okay,” He reached up and once again hooked a finger under Branch’s chin and turned his head towards him, “Don’t stress yourself out about it.” He smiled sweetly, “That’s step one hundred, you’re on step 1; you have time.” 

Branch nodded, and huffed out an annoyed breath, still feeling very vulnerable in his flustered state. He swatted Creek’s hand away and stood up to walk to the kitchen. Creek chuckled, “Yes with that attitude you’d make a wonderful father.” He joked. Branch’s reply was a rubber spatula that flew across the room to thump the purple Troll in the head. 

After a few minutes Branch appeared in the doorway to the living room again nursing a bottle of juice, he leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed and stared at the floor for a while, offhandedly noticing that Creek had returned to his book. Branch’s foot tapped agitatedly against the ground as he mulled through his thoughts, “Y’know what I still don’t get?” He began casually, and waited for Creek to acknowledge him with a small sound, “Why me?” He wondered, glancing up at Creek for an answer; he didn’t know _what_ he wanted to hear, but he certainly wanted to hear _something_. 

Creek folded his book and placed it to the side, he smiled lovingly at the Troll across from him as a million answers as to _why_ flew into his head. “Well you are quite a unique individual, Branch-” He began. 

But Branch scoffed, “Unique is just another word for _weird_.” He said, his features falling sadly though he was trying to look tough. “It’s fine, I know I’m some sad little weirdo who lives in a hole.” He chuckled dryly and looked up at the ceiling, “Who would want someone like me?” 

Creek was on his feet in a moment and stepped forward to grab Branch’s shoulders much to the shorter Troll’s chagrin, “Don’t say that-!” Creek began, but quickly shut his mouth as he took in the startled, borderline anxious expression spreading across Branch’s face, and suddenly it dawned on him that blind compliments and empty niceties wouldn’t benefit his self-confidence as it might for others, and that Branch needed something a little deeper than just being told he was desirable, he needed someone to understand why he felt the way he did and to prove him otherwise. Creek took a breath and loosened his hold, sliding his hands down Branch’s arms to take his free hand in his, “Yes Branch, maybe you are a little weird.” He started over, keeping his voice mild and kind, “But that ‘weirdness’ is what makes you stand out, it’s what allows you to make those ingenious traps of yours, I don’t know any other Troll in the village that can do anything like that.” 

Branch just stared at him in disbelief, rolling his eyes, but Creek persisted, “While the rest of our friends party and scrapbook, you don’t let a single moment go to waste, you do your best to keep everyone safe so that they can live their lives the way they want without fear, not once asking for anything in return, not even recognition, let alone a caring word.” Creek let one hand rise to cup Branch’s cheek tenderly, “Amidst your previous isolation, there was no one there for you, and being left alone so long can really put a damper on one’s self esteem.” He sighed softly, rubbing small circles with his thumb on Branch’s cheek, so desperately wishing he could hold him until all these bad thoughts left the blue Troll’s head. 

Branch tried to pull away, “My self-esteem is fine. I think I’m great at a lot of things.” He was trying to sound stronger than he felt in that moment, and his voice betrayed him; it was weak and broken and shook when he breathed. “I don’t need anyone... just like I don’t think anybody needs me.” He finished with a breathy laugh, his chest tightening as his darkest thoughts began to take over. 

Creek shook his head and couldn’t keep from pulling Branch into a crushing hug, looping his arms around the smaller Troll’s waist to pull him flush to his chest. “You might not want it, but I think you do need someone Branch.” The guru said quietly, allowing his hand to gently stroke Branch’s hair, which was deceptively soft and smelled like tropical fruit. “You’ve been away for so long, you’ve missed out on what a lot of people get regularly; intimacy, even just platonic intimacy is so important for spiritual strength.” He could feel Branch shaking minutely and so tried to keep his voice calm but firm 

“You need someone to tell you what a brilliant head you have on your shoulders,” Creek began again, not stilling his hand that was busy petting Branch’s hair, “You need someone to tell you what a pretty color your eyes are, and that your singing is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard in all my days,” He felt Branch still in his hold and his breathing hitch, “You deserve someone that would pull the stars from the sky for you and rearrange them however you’d like.” Creek all but whispered, trying not to make it obvious that he was enjoying every second he held the smaller Troll so close. He breathed in deeply, intoxicated by the light sweet smell Branch had, he didn’t want to even think about letting this moment end- he wanted to shower Branch in all the praise he never got, and prove to him just how special he was. 

He sighed softly, stilling the hand in Branch’s hair and lowering it, “You are one of a kind, Branch, and that’s what Guy Diamond sees in you.” He forced himself to release his hold, his chest twisting up jealously at the mention of the glitter Troll. Branch was staring at him but his expression was hard to read, his cheeks were pink but his brow was still scrunched up, and his eyes were wide and distant; in all honesty, he looked confused. Creek smiled down at him, “He sees the brilliant, cleaver, wonderful individual that you are, and he wants all of it, quirks and all.” He laughed lightly and poked Branch’s nose gently. 

Branch’s expression relaxed and the tension fell from his shoulders, he turned his eyes towards the ground as a heat rose to his cheeks. He had never heard such pretty things being spoken to him, and with so much emotion. It was a little overwhelming, but his heart thrummed happily and he couldn’t help but bask in the praise, although there were parts of him that bombarded his thoughts with the idea that he didn’t deserve these niceties. He tried his best to ignore the nay-sayers of his consciousness and just enjoy the warmth of Creek’s words- he was beginning to think that maybe having someone this close might not be such a bad thing. 

Creek smiled as he watched Branch relax, “In all your underappreciated efforts I know it’s probably very hard to even think about letting someone else take care of you, but I hope we can get you used to the idea.” He hummed, stuck marveling at the blue Troll’s light dusting of freckles over the bridge of his nose, having never been close enough to really notice them before. After a few beats he realized he was staring, he cleared his throat and backed away, putting a couple feet between him and Branch, “So you’ll be ready for Guy when the festival rolls around.” He chuckled nervously. 

Branch pressed his mouth into a thin line and faked a laugh, “Right.” He mumbled, “Ready for Guy...” 

The rest of the day was spent with Branch awkwardly asking questions about relationships, and Creek answering them to the best of his abilities; most of his answers, however, included _’talking’_ about your _’feelings’_ and there was nothing that Branch hated more than having to explain himself to others, especially when it came to his emotions. Every hour that passed Branch found himself getting more and more anxious about trying to start something new with Guy, offhandedly wishing everything was as easy as talking with Creek was. 

///////// 

The next day, Creek was determined to get Branch to open up to sharing himself with others, and insisted on pulling Branch’s finer interests out of him. Surprisingly, Branch seemed to open up to the idea after about an hour of Creek’s sickly-sweet voice pestering him to show him his favorite hobbies. He caved, and showed Creek to one of rooms that lay deeper into his bunker, one of them was piled high with notebooks and stacks of paper that contained his writing and poetry. He could see the eagerness in Creek’s eyes, so he quickly pulled him from the room and promised that someday he would share his writing, but that he wasn’t quite ready for that yet. Creek, although he had his hopes of prying into Branch’s literary creativity dashed, respected his request and admitted that he would patiently await the day, whenever it may be. 

Another room he showed Creek was his ‘inspiration room’, and while some of his so-called ‘inspiration’ appeared to be old news articles from when they were still imprisoned by the Bergens, he also had a fair amount of nature photography and pictures of his friends and the village hung up on the walls. Adorned across most of the surfaces in the room were all sorts of interesting and strange items, some of them were fun and colorful, like a rubix cube and a pile of bouncy balls- but some were not so exciting, such as the model skeleton in the corner and the small stack of obituaries on the desk. Creek shied away from the vibes of death and negativity he got from parts of the room, but nonetheless smiled warmly at his friend, “You certainly are a complex person, Branch.” He chuckled. “It definitely feels like your inspiration room, that’s for certain.” He said in the least-offensive way he could muster. 

But Branch didn’t appear to have taken any ill-will from the comment and beamed proudly around the room, “Thanks! It really helps remind me what’s important so I can work on my new inventions!” 

Creek nodded, somehow that actually made a lot of sense: Branch functioned heavily on fear and the will to protect everyone he could due to the guilt of losing his grandmother- so of course his inspiration room would be filled with things that incited fear, contrasted against those he wished to protect to really inspire him to work harder. 

Following that, however, Branch invited Creek to paint with him, and lead him to a wide room, which was really just a wide part of the hallway, that was adorned with canvases and tarps that had splashes of paint all over them. “It helps me relieve some stress,” Branch admitted, picking up a can of paint and a paint brush. He dipped the paint brush into the pink paint and flicked it over Creek’s nose with a giggle, “And it’s really fun.” He finished, and turned to swipe the rest of the paint onto a blank canvas. 

Creek bit his lip a smiled happily, caught up in the fun of the moment. He grabbed a paint roller and joined it, but not before rolling it up the whole of Branch’s arm as revenge for painting his nose. A small, mock-gasp came from the blue Troll, and Creek felt a wet splatter across his back. 

After a while, they had successfully painted a canvas with a lovely, unorganized pattern of swirls and dots, although they were more covered in paint than the canvas was. Creek laughed and let out a sigh, “Well I had never really seen painting as a stress-relieving activity but now I think I’ll be doing it all the time!” He admitted, trying to flick paint off his hands. “Although I have a feeling this was much more fun than I could have on my own.” 

Branch laughed as well, working on putting lids on the paint and rinsing off the paint brushes, “Well I’m down for another painting session whenever you are.” He bolstered happily. But he stopped, and his voice dropped, “That is, if you’d... actually want to do it again with me?” He mumbled. 

Creek scoffed and laid a gentle hand on Branch’s lower back, “Of course I would, love, I can’t think of anyone else I would rather do it with.” He said lovingly, flashing the brightest smile he could to help Branch feel a bit more confident in that moment. It seemed to work- Branch's cheeks flushed pink and he smiled and started humming to himself as he continued to clean up. Creek could sense it was most likely quiet-time, so Branch wouldn’t get overwhelmed, and left to shower and meditate before bed. 

///////// 

The following couple days preceded as normal. That next night, together, Branch and Creek made a quick dinner and enjoyed it on the floor of the kitchen with their backs leaned against the counter. Afterwords Branch was insistent upon getting Creek’s help to work on a 10,000-piece puzzle he had splayed out in one of the many extra rooms. “No no no, you see this is _sky blue_ , and that pile is for _ocean blue_.” Branch snatched the puzzle piece away from Creek and put it in the correct pile of similarly-colored pieces. “You see there’s a method to doing puzzles with water and the sky in them!” He stated matter-of-fact, beginning to rearrange a few of the blue piles and placing them where they belonged in the puzzle with surprising efficiency. “You have to always be vigilant about which blues are what hue.” He explained, motioning to his newly-assembled piece of the puzzle. 

Creek laughed softly and nodded along with whatever Branch decided to lecture about puzzles, deciding he was quite content watching the other Troll get excited about something he loved; the way his eyes were alight and his voice cracked in his mirth all brought Creek to do little more than stare at him affectionately and pretend like he was still paying attention to the puzzle. 

“Am I keeping you up?” Branch wondered, jerking Creek from his dreamy thoughts. 

The purple Troll sputtered for a moment, “Oh, no, of course not dear, why do you ask?” He wondered with a nervousness in his tone, having been caught daydreaming. 

Branch bit his lip, “You look like you can barely keep your eyes open.” He pointed out. 

“Oh no I’m not... it’s just-” Creek huffed, calming his nerves and straightening himself out, “I just... I really enjoy spending time with you Branch.” He explained, noting to himself that it wasn’t a lie, just maybe not the whole truth. 

Branch smiled softly, and Creek felt his heart melt, “Well thanks, Creek, I... actually like spending time with you too.” He chuckled, casually turning back to his puzzle, trying to pretend his heart wasn’t beating a mile a minute. 

///////// 

One morning later in the week, Creek was awoken by a hushed, excited voice beckoning him to ‘Wake up!’ while his shoulder was grabbed and jostled. He sleepily rolled over towards the noise and cracked open his eyes to find Branch kneeling at eye-level with him. He took a deep breath as his body began waking up and he propped himself up on one arm to cast his groggy stare between the clock and his friend, “Branch, love, it’s five in the morning. Are you alright?” He mumbled with a yawn. 

Branch nodded, “I know it’s early, and I wanted to tell you, but I decided to keep it a surprise!” He explained softly with an excited tone of voice. 

Creek kicked his feet off the side of the bed and began doing some light stretching to start the morning with, “My dear, tell me what?” He chuckled quietly, unable to not be amused and endeared by how Branch was running around eagerly grabbing different supplies with the sneakiest smile on his face. After receiving no reply from the strangely enthusiastic Troll, Creek conceded and rose to go to the bathroom; he splashed his face with cool water, combed his hair, and continued his other morning duties before he exited to the foyer. 

He could still hear Branch scuttling around, and could tell he had something planned, so he decided not to question it anymore and just go with whatever Branch had in mind. With a calming breath, Creek brought himself down into a lunge and held it for a few beats until he felt his legs really waking up- he then righted himself for a moment before falling into a gate pose. He cycled through many other simple yoga exercises before Branch seemed to be ready to spring his surprise. 

Branch came out of the kitchen slinging a backpack over his shoulder, and only then did Creek really question what was going on. “Are we going somewhere?” He wondered with a grin. 

The blue Troll gave an affirmative nod and headed towards the lift, Creek followed and soon enough they were all but sneaking out of Branch’s front door. Even out here by Branch’s bunker, they could still hear music coming from where the festival was, and there appeared to be stray pink and red confetti covering the ground just about everywhere within Troll village. “Are we at all worried about Poppy seeing us out and about?” Creek wondered, truthfully not worried about it, but interested to see how much Branch had planned through. 

Branch snorted, “Nah, she drinks herself silly at these things and passes out by 3 at the latest.” He said amusedly, “She has to ‘open’ the festival every morning at 8, even though it... really never stops. So, this time of morning she’s fast asleep.” He explained, sounding pretty proud of himself, and Creek smiled, quite endeared by the other’s cunning. 

The question still stood for Creek as to where they were headed, and truth be told he didn’t like heading so close to the festival, and he wondered what could be so important that it had Branch of all Trolls throwing caution to the wind. 

Together they headed through, what was probably, the quietest parts of the village, past and under sections of personal pods where some of the others were probably sleeping, so they were silent as they went through those areas, mindful of their surroundings and to not step on any of the mess that lay around the ground. Branch and Creek shared disgusted looks at the state of the village, every bend would greet them with a new disaster; a pile of burnt cupcakes, icing and frosting on just about _every_ surface, stray cups and party supplies laying around, and it wasn’t unusual for them to stumble across a few Trolls sleeping on the ground amongst the trash. 

A few times they passed groups of Fuzzlings trying to clean up the messes valiantly although they seemed a bit overwhelmed. Other than the distant beat of the music at the festival, it was an oddly peaceful night, but Branch was lit up with the thrill of the night rushing through him, the cool air beating against his skin and the fun of their exploit making him giggly. 

Eventually, they came upon the base of the Troll Tree, Creek chuckled softly, a little out of breath from running through the last few clearings, “What are we doing here?” He wondered. 

Branch let out a quiet laugh, “For someone who’s told me in the past to ‘go with the flow’ you ask a lot of questions.” He beamed, and snatched Creek’s hand to start pulling him up the stairs excitedly. Creek felt his heart beat happily in his chest, smiling whenever Branch turned to check on him- he loved this; he loved that Branch had been really warming up to him the past week, and he loved that he smiled and laughed more and allowed himself to relax. 

Creek paused his thoughts and rested his gaze on their joined hands, smiling to himself and discretely tightening his hold. He loved everything that Branch and he had done together and that their humor intermingled perfectly, he loved how excited Branch was when he would talk about something he liked, he loved how Branch’s voice would crack when he got too excited, and that his eyes and nose crinkled up when he smiled, and that he snorted when he laughed really hard. Creek bit his lip and moved his gaze up Branch, settling on the back of his head. He loved how soft Branch’s skin was, and the shy smiles he gave when Creek complimented him, and he loved his voice and his hair and his sea-colored eyes... 

His heart clenched, as if someone was grabbing it, and Creek had to try really hard for a couple minutes to keep up with Branch without tripping on the steps. He gripped the blue Troll’s hand until they got to the top of the tree where the very unused royal office sat, Branch picked open the lock and walked in with little care. It was almost pitch black in the room, so Creek stood still, stuck listening to the lighting pace his heart was racing at, until he saw a natural light pour into the room from a hatch Branch had opened on the ceiling. “C’mon, quick!” Branch urged with a laugh, climbing the rest of the way up the ladder to the roof and motioning for Creek to follow. 

With a good-natured sigh, Creek followed suit and climbed the ladder. Once out the top, the sight that greeted Creek was stunningly beautiful and he had to stop for a few minutes to take it all in. Far above the surrounding trees, he could see everything; the sky was dark, but the sun was just under the horizon, so shades of pink and orange were being thrown into the stars, the forest they call home was breathtaking, though dark, the bioluminescence of some of the flora and fauna lit the underside of the canopy and made the forest glow in a rainbow of color. Creek was floored, he stepped nearer to the edge of the platform and put a hand on his chest, completely enraptured by the sights and sounds of the awakening forest. 

“This is what I wanted to show you.” Branch admitted with a shy smile. Creek looked his way, but he didn’t know what to say. Branch pulled out two bottles of Stoutberry juice from his bag and handed one to Creek before sitting down on the ledge with his legs dangling off the side. Creek sat down next to him but couldn’t keep his eyes off the view, he mindlessly drank the juice, which felt like a splash of liveliness to his still sleep-lagged body. 

“This juice...” Branch began, breaking the silence that had laid over them the past few minutes, “It’s my favorite.” He muscled out, his cheeks flushing pink. Creek turned towards him with a confused smile, “Apricot and sweet mint,” He continued, motioning with the bottle, “It’s my favorite, I always get it. And when you said it was your favorite last week I...” He jerked his head and bit his lower lip, “I didn’t feel like I could tell you, it felt awkward.” He laughed nervously, taking a long drink to calm his nerves. “But it feels different now so... I wanted to tell you.” He smiled shyly and rubbed the back of his neck. 

Admitting something like that was a big step for Branch, and Creek knew it, and was touched by the coincidence. He reached out to lay his hand on Branch’s back gently, “That’s wonderful!” He exclaimed happily, “Thank you for telling me. I’m glad we can both mutually enjoy our juice, and here I was worried about it.” He hummed, keeping his voice gentle. 

Together, they were content to watch the world wake up around them, the music at the festival could barely be heard this high, but when the tune changed from a club song to a softer melody, it drifted through the canopy and provided a lovely background to their morning. Creek was still stuck marveling at the view, but it was no longer the forest he was staring at; his eyes were busy tracing every inch of Branch, how his fluffy hair swayed lightly in the breeze, the point of his nose and the contented gleam in his eye, his arms and hands where they were eagerly gripping the bottle of juice, his tummy only partially hidden by his vest and shorts, and the way he was kicking his legs back-and-forth over the edge like an impatient Trolling. 

“Look, the sun is coming up! This is when the magic really happens!” Banch explained excitedly. Creek glanced over at the horizon long enough to see the sun crest over the sky and paint the forest in the warm colors of the morning. But he couldn’t focus for long as his attention was drawn back to Branch; the soft yellow sunlight dusted him in color and lit up his features, his eyes seemed to absorb the sun and went from a light blue to practically gold, and in the bright light, even more freckles stood out against his skin like the stars sit in the sky. 

“It’s beautiful huh?” Branch wondered; his gaze fixed on the glowing trees in the yellow light. 

Creek hummed quietly, “It really is.” He admitted, his eyes having not shifted away from Branch. 

Again, a tightness grabbed at Creek’s chest and almost knocked him over, he sucked in a quiet breath and put a hand to his chest once again. It hurt, it sent shockwaves of the same tightness through his whole body, he felt tears trying to prickle along his eyelids as he was hit with the brunt force of this emotion that crashed over him. His pulse quickened, enough so that he thought for a moment he was having a heart attack, he felt empty and full at the same time- breathless while still breathing, like he was on the brink of death but still on top of the world. But in the same moment he realized none of that mattered. Even though his body felt on the verge of some sort of collapse, his mind was open and his heart was strong and it hurt but in the best way possible. 

He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, a soft sound that blended in with the ambiance of the morning- his vision re-focused and Branch was still right there, within arm's reach, and he yearned to reach out and hold him; it’s the only thing that could have made the moment better. 

His lightning fast pulse stopped for one... two... three beats, before picking up again as the realization of what he was feeling washed over him. Creek silently put a hand over his mouth and forced himself to turn towards the sunrise as his breath quickened, he stared blankly forward and could hear nothing but the thrum of his heartbeat and the rush of his blood. 

_I love him._ Creek bit his lip as he lowered his hand and kept as much outward normalcy as he could while falling apart inside. 

Of course he loved him. From that first smile, the first time he heard Branch laugh with abandon, and from the first time Creek realized he had stopped being nice to Branch because it’s what Poppy expected of him. 

It was obvious if he really thought about it, the last week was all the proof he needed, he was very much in love. But now with this information, he didn’t know what he could do about it. 

Creek cast a sidelong gaze at Branch, his heart stirring happily just at the sight of him enjoying the sunrise. 

But he caught himself, silencing the desires of his heart; he couldn’t do that to Branch, not now, not with everything going on, and certainly not considering he had just earned Branch’s trust. He couldn’t betray all of that by acting on it, despite every instinct in him crying out for him to reach out and pull the smaller Troll to his side, to hold him and kiss him until the sun set; he didn’t do any of that. He took a deep breath and smiled, even though his heart was wound so tight it could burst, he settled on enjoying the moment- he wasn’t a Troll to act blindly on instinct, he would meditate on it, think about it logically and make a conscious decision. There were just too many factors at play; the romantic setting, courting season, and the fact that they were all but forced to live together, all of them could have swayed his more rational thought, and Creek wasn’t about to let hormones or some sort of Stockholm element play a roll in a life-changing decision. Not to mention Branch was already set to be with Guy Diamond, and he was meant to be helping Branch come out of his shell more, acting on these emotions would seem shady- as if he were taking advantage of Branch’s vulnerability. 

He sighed. No, he couldn’t do anything about this feeling, he couldn’t act on this love in the most ostentatious way he wanted, and in every sense of the meaning; ignorance was bliss because the realization hit him like a train and it hurt more than it helped. 

Swallowing his emotional turmoil Creek sighed again, although it was just the perfect moment to make a move, he pushed it down, disregarding the new pain permeating in his chest, and elected to return to enjoying the sunrise with his friend, realizing he would have a huge ‘thank you’ to give Branch for such a wonderful surprise.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter isn't very long, in an ideal world I could post like 5-6 thousand word chapters every time, but Ive been dealing with a lot between work, commissions, and my Gran being in the hospital and me having to take trips there to help her otl So sorry this chapter is short, and the next chapter may be a bit delayed depending on how the next week plays out for me. But stay tuned! And I really hope you enjoy!

Branch couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he handed Creek his bag, which was the same green as his hair, “I snuck us out before dawn, and you’re trying to go out in the middle of the day. Poppy is going to find you, and kill you.” He stated, his voice falling to a deadpan in the face of his friend’s impending doom. 

Creek laughed and stepped onto the lift, “You mean _if_ she finds me?” 

Branch crossed his arms, “No I mean _when_. She’s like a damn bloodhound, she always finds people who don’t want to be found. Trust me, I have plenty of experience on the subject.” He mumbled and rolled his eyes. 

Creek yanked the lever to raise the lift and gave the cockiest smirk he could muster, “I’ll be fine love. You’re the one who needs to be careful, or I’ll start to think you care about me.” He chuckled, and caught a glimpse of the blue Troll’s smile before the lift carried him out of eyeshot. 

Once outside the bunker, Creek eagerly set out to make a quick trip to the market, or what would hopefully be a quick trip. He tightened the strap of his bag and quickened his pace as he had to pass a little too close to the romance festival, he had his mind set on a few key items to really make the last few days he had with Branch count. A few luxury foods they could cook up together, alcohol to celebrate with, and a new book and mineral set he ordered discretely through Sky Toronto as gifts for Branch. 

He had decided in the last couple days that even if he couldn’t make his feelings known, that didn’t mean he had to stop treating Branch like royalty, because if anyone deserved to be spoiled, even just for a little while, it was Branch, and his heart leapt in response to his plight. 

The first stop was one of the imports stands in the market, which was thankfully still open despite the festival being mid-swing, where he picked up plenty of meats and hard-to-get vegetables from cooler climates that he couldn’t get normally. Next, he quickly made his way to his pod, where he knew Sky had had the books and gems delivered. Sure enough he found them sitting on his font steps wrapped in very unassuming white paper with Sky Toronto’s logo stamped on the side in gold. The boxes were fairly heavy, but just compact enough for Creek to tuck into his hair which made it much easier to hustle to his last stop. 

Unfortunately, all the alcohol vendors had moved their stands close to, if not within the boundaries of Love Fest, so Creek was hoping to be unnoticed although his chances were thin and risky at best. The music and voices that made up the festival grew louder and more overbearing as Creek drew near, and the mess of heart shaped confetti and wayward balloons grew exponentially as well. Nearing the front gate of the festival, Creek was somewhat comforted by having to slip into the crowd, while navigating was difficult- it did serve to hide him from any prying eyes. He offhandedly gave himself a pat on the back for not bringing Branch along; this would all be way too much for him. 

Coming upon the nearest vendor, Creek groaned internally; Harper was manning the booth, which any other day might be a welcome treat, but today her cheerfulness and talkativeness would only be detriment to his plight. “Hello dear.” Creek greeted her above the noise, putting up the most casual front he could. 

The painter Troll seemed delighted to see him, “Hi Creek! I didn’t expect to see you around, because of the festival?” She motioned to the festival gates that stood a few yards behind them, as if Creek had somehow missed them or the crowds swelling into the area. 

Despite the slight annoyance, Creek nodded, “Indeed miss Harper, I would prefer to be back home, but circumstances brought me out to see you on this beautiful day.” He sing-songed in his calming voice. 

Harper giggled and practically bounced where she stood, “Well I’m not arguing, always lovely to talk with you Creek!” She explained, resting her elbow on the counter, “Now, what can I help you with today?” She wondered, then reaching over to gently prod Creek’s arm with her elbow, “Getting something special for a special someone finally?” Her voice dropped playfully and she raised her eyebrows at the purple Troll. 

Creek felt himself blush, “Well, I guess you could say that.” He chuckled, getting a thrill from talking about it. “Let me have three bottles of maple mead.” He motioned towards the top of the liquor shelf that sat behind Harper. 

Harper hummed and pulled out a stepping tool to reach the bottles, pulling out 3 tall, clear bottles with honey colored liquid in them- she looked them over and whistled, “Wow, strong stuff, expensive too, Branch is a lucky guy.” She chuckled. 

Creek nodded in agreement but then choked on nothing, “Branch? Why do you think this is for Branch?” He sputtered, his heart jumping into his throat. 

With a coy smile Harper shrugged, “Poppy mentioned you guys were staying together for courting season.” She explained nonchalantly, and started to set up the mead to be transported safely by wrapping it in brown paper. 

Creek saw red for a moment, how could Poppy think it was okay to go airing Branch’s laundry to anyone who happened to be listening? He didn’t care if people knew, but he knew Branch would, and he also knew Branch wouldn’t handle such accusations as lightly as Creek could and would likely feel incredibly betrayed by anyone involved. “Oh, it’s nothing like that, I’ve been helping him meditate to help his stress.” He explained, and it wasn’t completely a lie, in fact, as far as he or anyone else was concerned, that’s exactly why he was down there. 

Harper nodded and handed over a bag once all the mead was packed away, and Creek handed her a small pouch of coins, “Thank you dear, I appreciate your hospitality and kindness as always. But please don’t go spreading that information around, it _was_ meant to be a private agreement.” Creek strained to keep the anger out of his voice, mentally noting to have a talk with Poppy on the subject after this was all said and done. 

“Oh, you should know there’s no secrets around here, preacher man.” A new voice came from behind Creek, and he turned in time to see Cloud Guy float down and land about a meter away. He sighed softly, no longer in any mood to deal with nonsense. Cloud Guy gave him a once-over and smirked, “Word through the grapevine is you’ve been _rrrrromancing_ our sweet little Branch.” He said, rolling his r’s. 

Creek flushed but kept his repose, smiling kindly, albeit exasperatedly, “I’m sorry friend but your grapevine must be broken because that just isn’t the case.” Although he wanted it to be, sadly it was not. He tried to turn and make his escape, but the cloud was persistent and floated over and in front of him. 

“Okay remember that part I said it was _’the word through the grapevine’_? Yeah, I lied. There is no grapevine, only me, and what I’ve seen, with my own two eyes.” Cloud Guy explained mockingly, getting progressively closer to Creek’s face, “And what I’ve seen is _you_ making goo-goo eyes at mister dumpy diapers.” He chuckled. Creek’s brow knotted together in a rare visual display of anger, and he shoved through Cloud Guy to continue his way home, only for the annoying thing to continue to follow him and ramble. “C’mon, preacher man, talk to me. I’m your buddy, your pal, and Branch’s number one confidant, so if you’re planning on bedding that little blue delight, I have to be the first to know.” He persisted. 

Something in Creek snapped and he stopped dead in his tracks, turning and backhanding Cloud Guy. Of course, it went right through him, “Do you have **any** boundaries?” He shouted, his teeth ground together angrily, “Do you really think that’s an appropriate thing to say to someone you barely know?” All he could see was red, he was angry, which didn’t happen very often and proved to be very overwhelming, his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment and his fist were wound into tight balls at his sides. “Even if I was, it wouldn’t be your damn business.” He said pointedly, trying to even his breaths as his heart hammered away in his chest. 

Cloud Guy just smirked and raised an eyebrow at him, “ _Oooh_ , a little defiance in that tone! And was that-” He faked a gasp, “-some _yearning_ I heard in there too?” He laughed dizzily, and even as Creek huffed and continued to walk away, he floated behind him, looping a lanky, noodle-like arm over the purple Troll’s shoulder. “I saw it in your face the other day, on the top of Troll Tree.” Cloud Guy swooned, taking in the confused, shocked expression that briefly crossed Creek’s otherwise pissed-off features, “Oh yeah, I was there buddy; I’m a cloud, you all were practically at my place all the way up there.” He explained. “I see the way you look at him, your pupils blow out, you bite your lip, you unconsciously lower your voice- and if you were any more in love, I think I’d have to barf. So, are you planning to strip that anxious little mess of his innocence or what?” 

Again, Creek swatted at Cloud Guy, this time just to get him of his back (literally), “Piss off.” He mumbled, gripping the handle of his bag to keep from having another outburst as his muscles tensed in response to his anger, ready for a fight. He didn’t have to deal with this, it was just an annoyance that was making him feel even shittier for feeling the way he was feeling. Tears threatened to spill over his lower lids as wave after wave of emotion hit him, cycling between anger, frustration, and longing- as if his own emotions weren’t enough to deal with already. 

Cloud Guy actually stopped talking for a blessed few minutes, and when he started again his voice was softer, more subdued, “Hey, Creek, I’m just playing with you man.” He said sincerely, floating just in front of the purple Troll to make him stop. Creek didn’t want to make eye contact, but being a very magnanimous individual, he found it to be the polite thing to do at the time and so conceded to listen to whatever the cloud had to say for himself. “Listen, I think it’s great that you and him are getting along, believe me I know more than anyone he needs someone like you around.” To his credit, Cloud Guy seemed to be talking from the heart, his eyes never wavered, “The Branch I saw at the top of the Troll Tree, is not the same Branch I’ve known for the last couple years. And I believe that is thanks to you.” He admitted, and Creek was struck by the sincere emotion in his voice. 

For a moment, they both stood there, Creek was slowly coming down off his angry high and started to feel silly about getting so worked up. Cloud Guy put his hands up, “Now look, I’m not here to tell you what to do, because I know that flashy glitter Troll has eyes for him too and Poppy has this whole romantic thing planned out in her head for them-” Creek felt a pang of jealousy strike through him and seize his chest. Cloud Guy seemed to notice the change in emotion and put a gentle hand on Creek’s shoulder, “ _But_ … I’m just saying, I don’t think mister Glitter Troll of the Year has what Branch needs.” He concluded, shrugging coyly and crossing his arms. 

Creek flicked his gaze to the ground and thought about it for a minute, letting a sense of self-preserving pride wash over him. He chuckled, “What do you mean? Glitter farts fix everything don’t they?” 

Cloud Guy barked out a laugh, “Preacher man is telling jokes now! Alriiiight!” He fist-pumped the air and did an excited flip. 

For a moment, it actually felt like Cloud Guy understood things on a slightly more profound level than Creek had initially given him credit for, and he was coming to appreciate his presence, and as someone who could, in fact, be a good confidant someday. 

“Seriously though, he like... _needs_ to get laid, so if that’s on your agenda I’d say go for it.” 

Creek flushed bright red and slapped his own forehead. So much for that moment. He spat out a few hushed curses at the cloud, which only served to make Cloud Guy a giggling mess as he floated out of reach bidding a mocking farewell. 

Creek had to partake in a short breathing exercise once he reached the door to the bunker before he could re-enter, his center was all out of alignment and he was not about to subject Branch to that. Once he felt confident enough to enter, Branch greeted him with a welcoming smile and offered to take his bags. Although Creek was insistent upon taking care of them himself since it was all meant to be a treat for the shorter Troll, although he wasn’t letting Branch know that just yet. After storing the imported groceries and mead in the back of the fridge, Creek retreated to his room to hide Branch’s gifts until he thought it a suitable time to give them to him. 

He asked Branch to handle dinner that night, and he agreed with a happy hum to his voice, which gave Creek time to wrap his presents and plan out the extra special celebration he wanted to have with Branch. 

///////// 

The following day Branch kept himself busy for the better half of the morning into the afternoon, he was buzzing with his usual anxious energy as he went to work rotating his rations and re-counting his inventory. He was currently working on greasing the gears of his automatic lift, his hands and face were splotched with the dark grease and oil from the machine, Creek was standing nearby holding a toolbox for him, “Branch, don’t you think it’s time we take a break from all this?” Creek wondered, gesturing to the proper mess that was on the ground all around Branch. 

The blue Troll, from where he was buried in the machinations of the lift, gave a disapproving sound, “Do you want to be trapped down here forever if these gears grind up and we can’t get out?” He wondered curtly. 

Creek rolled his eyes, “At least we wouldn’t be sweaty and covered in grease.” He mumbled. 

“What was that?” Branch called. 

“Nothing, love, you just... keep working on your machine, I’m going to start prepping for dinner.” Creek set the toolbox down next to the other Troll and began towards the bathroom to wash his hands off. 

He heard a soft clanging sound, and then Branch grunted, “Okay, sounds good, thank you.” He said, distracted by the new lump forming on his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah it's hard to write in alcohol to a childish fantasy setting, so I used Mead as a more "whimsical" drink, and sounds better then vodka or rum lol Also mead isn't very strong in people terms, like it can get up to like 40 proof I think which isn't bad, but I figured to a lil Troll it would be a lot? So yeah that's my science lesson for the day lol


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to have gone so long without an update! I lost my wind and I had lots of life stuff to do, but I'm back on the train for now and I'm finally getting to the parts I've been wanting to write since I started this fic!
> 
> In other news some slight naughty shit finally happens~

That evening, Branch found himself being served dinner yet again, this time he had been wordlessly dragged from his workroom by the hand and sat in the living room in front of the tv. “Ah, dinner and a show tonight, huh?” He asked, trying to keep the amusement out of his tone. 

Creek stepped out of the room and returned moments later with a large tray of food; there was a whole pile of roasted vegetables, pasta with some kind of grilled meat, sauce and mushrooms, a pile of toasted bread that looked all but dipped in butter and other seasoning, and a tall, unmarked bottle that dwarfed the Stoutberry juice bottles and glasses that were next to it. 

Branch’s stomach grumbled in response to the smorgasbord that was set on the coffee table before him, and he had to resist the urge to sloppily dig in- knowing that Creek had spent the last couple hours working on this and he didn’t want to ruin it. “Damn Creek, what’s the occasion?” Branch asked with a laugh, “You cook great anyway, but this looks like you’ve really outdone yourself!” He added surprised. 

With a sly shrug, Creek grinned while seating himself right next to the other Troll, “Just thought I’d really go all out since our time together is almost up.” He admitted, his voice dipping sadly though he was doing a good job of disguising it. 

Surprisingly, Branch gave him a sad sort of smile, “Yeah but, hey, that doesn’t mean we can’t hang out afterwards right?” He wondered, his voice wavering on meek, his eyes darted away nervously, “I mean, that is if you’d actually want to hang out with me when Poppy isn’t making you.” He chuckled dryly, already fearing the answer. 

Creek offered a soft laugh and put an arm around Branch’s waist to pull him in close, “My dear, like I’ve said before, I can’t imagine having this much fun with anyone else.” He explained, beaming down at Branch who had since flushed pink from their proximity. Creek held on for as long as he thought he could before he removed his arm and started serving himself diner. Surprisingly, Branch didn’t make a move to scoot away, and stayed pressed against Creek’s side even as they both dug into their food. Creek couldn’t ignore the happy buzz in his chest feeling the smaller Troll up against him, just as Branch couldn’t shake how comfortable he felt being so close to Creek, considering he had hated physical contact until recently. 

Branch flipped through the TV until he came across the Pranksters channel and he looked at Creek to see if there was any protest, Creek just smiled and him and shrugged casually while biting into a roll. 

After a few minutes, Creek felt Branch relaxing, the tension easing away from his frame as he became more accustom to the position. Feeling bold, Creek slipped his arm back around Branch, this time letting it rest over his shoulders. His body was buzzing in his mirth, the evening felt wonderfully domestic, he felt as if it was a dream: he looked down at Branch enjoying his food and leaning against him, his soft navy hair tickling Creek’s chin and the rest of their bodies all but connected, and he realized it wasn’t a dream. The unadulterated joy he felt in that moment made him want to do flips- but, for the moment to last he had to quell his excitement and let it simmer into contentedness. He reminded himself that Branch wasn’t his to have, that he shouldn’t be taking such perverse pleasure in the innocent moment- he steeled his emotions and pushed himself out of the warm comfort of the couch and the other body there. 

Creek scooted forward and reached for the bottle of mead, pouring a fair amount into one of the glasses and filling the rest of the space with Stoutberry juice. “Would you like some?” He wondered, gesturing the glass in Branch’s direction. 

On his part, Branch offered a confused smile but took the glass, staring at its contents incredulously, “What is it?” He wondered. 

Creek went to pouring himself a drink, “Mead, and Stoutberry juice of course.” He chuckled, sipping from his glass and nodding towards his friend. 

Branch raised his eyebrows and nodded as well, trying to discern anything from the color and smell of the drink: it smelled sweet, but with a sharp bitterness that he could practically taste in his throat just from inhaling it. He had had limited contact with alcohol because he didn’t attend parties, Poppy had brought him something in a bottle once before during New Years, and he’s pretty sure it's still sitting around somewhere. So, he didn’t quite know what to expect but it was something he’d been meaning to try, and seeing Creek looking at him so expectantly was a good motivation. 

Sipping from it seemed to be a bad decision as the flavor of the alcohol sat heavy on his tongue the longer it was in his mouth, so he swallowed and tried again, this time taking a bigger drink and swallowing it quickly. That seemed to make the experience nicer; the bitter honey taste did break through the sweetness of the stoutberry juice but it wasn’t completely unpleasant, and it gave him a small rush as the warmth of the alcohol travelled through his body. He shivered lightly and pulled back to continue looking at the drink like he didn’t know what to make of it. 

Creek laughed, endeared by the sight, “My dear, do you not like it? You’re looking at it as if it told a joke you didn’t get.” He prodded good naturedly. 

Branch shrugged and took another drink, growing used to the bitterness on the back of his throat, “No it’s good. Weird. But I’ve drank worse things.” He admitted. 

“I’m going to very purposefully _not_ ask you to elaborate on that bit of information.” Creek admitted matter-of-fact, which just made Branch sputter out a laugh that made Creek’s heart flutter. 

///////// 

A couple hours had passed and Creek was sad to see the second bottle of mead emptied and tossed aside on the living room floor, although he was quite ecstatic with how the night had gone thus-far. He had worried Branch’s response to alcohol would be counterproductive, that all his stress would just drive him into a hole as soon as he was inebriated. But it hadn’t, and by a few drinks in Branch was noticeably loosening up and laughing a little more regularly, which Creek took a stupid amount of pleasure in telling every stupid anecdote or joke he could think of to elicit just _one more_ smile or laugh, afraid that anything could take this wonderful evening away at any second. 

After yet another (honestly, not that funny) joke, Branch snorted hard and almost spat out what was in his mouth, he slapped his knee and coughed through the laughter until he could breathe again. He sprung up from his place on the couch and stumbled into the kitchen to hack out a lung into the sink so he wouldn’t end up spitting everywhere. Creek laughed dizzily and waited for his friend to return. Eventually, Branch came back in, his face was flushed red from the alcohol and his gaze was hazy, his eyes half-lidded, he giggled at what had happened and ran a hand back through his hair. 

Creek couldn’t stop from staring, completely enthralled by every tiny motion the smaller Troll made, obsessing over his adorable dark freckles and fluffy hair and how amazing he looked while completely helpless to his own inebriated state. “You’re so beautiful,” He hummed lovingly, casting a sleepy, drunken smile his way. It was only a few moments later that he realized he had said that out loud. 

Branch was staring at him, albeit he was wobbling where he stood, with wide eyes, and fear shot through Creek’s chest. This was what he had been afraid of, something ruining the evening, he just hadn’t considered his self-control to fail like that and cause a problem. He sat up straighter but was struggling to find words, or any plan to bail himself out of the situation. Branch began towards him, and before Creek could rise to meet him, the blue Troll sat himself on Creek’s lap, straddling his hips. Heat instantly shot through Creek and straight to his lower half, Branch was incredibly warm pressed against him, and his arms were like fire as they wrapped around his neck. 

“Do you tell th-that to every Troll you wine and dine?” Branch hummed, his voice caught between aroused and nervous. 

Creek was frozen for a few beats, holding his arms out and away as to not make any contact, “Branch, love, do you mind moving back to your own spot? I can fetch you some water,” He sputtered, trying to shift his weight around to coax the smaller Troll to get off. “I think I’ve let you have a few too many drinks tonight, haven’t I?” He chuckled nervously. He moved his hips to try and knock Branch off balance so he could scooch out from under him, but a soft, keening moan came from Branch at the motion and Creek froze again. Something white hot shot through him and his vision blurred, he looked up to meet eyes with Branch and his brain went fuzzy at the sight of his half-lidded eyes and red cheeks, his slack body pressed against him and completely willing. 

Creek chuckled lowly, biting his lower lip and letting his arms come to rest on Branch’s waist, then sliding them up to run over his ribs and back down to grip at his thighs and butt, drunk not only on mead, but on finally getting his hands on the smaller Troll; he frankly couldn’t help himself. The blue Troll moaned softly and let his head loll back just a bit in response, and Creek took the opening to go at Branch’s neck, kissing and biting- showing no hesitation to leave angry dark hickies all over his neck and collar bone. He continued to trail kisses up over Branch’s shoulders, jaw line and finally left a bite at the base of one of his ears, all the while getting ridiculously hard to the cacophony of moans and mewls Branch was making, and relishing in his gentle panting and the hips that were beginning to grind down into his. 

He slithered one hand up Branch’s back to the base of his hair and tangled his fingers in and yanked back sharply, Branch moaned breathily with a drunk smile, which sent tingles all through Creek. The guru used his free hand to grab at Branch’s waist and jerk him around a bit, his mouth practically watering at just how good the blue Troll looked helpless in his lap; he had so many ideas though, so many ideas that would be mind-blowing compared to this. 

Creek leaned back to admire his work, eyeing every hickey and bite mark with ease, more than pleased that when Guy Diamond came to pick Branch up the day after tomorrow, he would have a clear and obvious view of his handiwork, and he would know that Creek had claimed what was his. 

Creek froze. 

What was his? 

He glanced up at Branch who was still grinding down on him and panting, then he returned his gaze to the blue Troll’s neck, and suddenly cringed at all the marks he’d left. 

Branch isn’t his. He admitted to himself, a sudden wave of shame washing over him. Branch isn’t his, he is set to be courted by another Troll, and even though he doesn’t seem excited, it’s what was decided and Branch had never said anything to the contrary. 

Creek was caught between a rock and a hard place. One side being that this was what he never knew he wanted until recently, it felt right, and _so good_ to have Branch this close, he wanted to hold on and protect him but not before showing him the _time of his life_. But the other side was the fact of the matter: he was drunk, they both were, and while Creek could decide for himself that he would want this even if he was sober- he couldn’t make that decision for Branch, Branch couldn’t say no right now, and so doing anything with him would be... Creek felt himself go cold... doing anything with him would be deplorable. 

Creek grabbed Branch’s shoulders to keep him from moving, then moved his hands to either side of the blue Troll’s face, “Branch, love,” He began, his words caught in his throat because he _really_ didn’t want this to stop, but he knew it couldn’t go on, “We can’t do this... darling. Okay?” Creek said sternly. Branch was still smiling, still very drunk, but looked at him crookedly, “I’m gonna get you to bed, okay?” 

Branch sputtered out a giggle, “If it's with you then sssure.” He slurred, draping himself over Creek. The guru chuckled and used the new position to get to his feet with Branch wrapped around him, who giggled as he was carried all the way to his room and was quite fussy and uncooperative when he was being laid on the bed. When Creek finally got him to lay down, he quickly left to fetch a big glass of water and brought it back, sitting on the bed and insisting Branch finish the whole thing. Which he did, sort of, a good bit of it dribbled down his chin but Creek was satisfied and went to refill the glass for overnight. 

Creek took a few minutes to bring their dirty dished into the kitchen and rinse them off, quite sure he was too out of it to do any real cleaning tonight but not wanting the old food to get caked onto the plates which would just make tomorrow harder. When he finally returned to Branch’s room with a fresh glass of water, he found the blue Troll curled on his side facing away from the door. There was no sound so Creek hummed softly to himself, placed the glass on the side table and flipped off the light, he sat down on the edge of the bed and breathed out shakily before reaching out to stroke a hand over Branch’s hair, “Goodnight love, sorry if today was too overwhelming for you.” He said sadly, already dreading how on earth their friendship could ever bounce back from something like this. He sighed, deciding since he was already in deep shit; he was going to make the best of it, and so he leaned down to press a gentle, loving kiss to Branch’s temple. “I’m so sorry.” He whispered, knowing Branch was asleep and wouldn’t acknowledge him, his cheeks burned with embarrassment and left-over arousal, though it was mostly shame. 

Creek remained sat next to Branch to make sure he was okay for a few more minutes, listening to his soft breathing, before he decided all was well and stood to leave. However, before he could leave the room, a small, slurred voice mumbled into the darkness, “Do you not wan...want me because of what A-Asher did?” 

It nearly scared Creek half to death; he thought Branch had been asleep and suddenly felt even more embarrassed. He turned back around and looked at the smaller Troll curiously. “What do you mean, love?” He wondered, quite curious to understand what on earth his companion was rambling about, all but ready to attribute it to the alcohol clouding his thoughts. 

Branch slowly flipped around to face Creek, his eyes noticeably teary even in just the light creeping in from the hallway, “I always thought that’s wh-why other Trolls didn’t like me after that.” He admitted sadly, fat tears slipping down his face into his pillow. 

Creek pushed his nerves and embarrassment aside and rushed over to his friend, kneeling by the edge of the bed and making gentle contact to Branch’s cheek, “Don’t cry love,” Creek cooed, his heart breaking at the sight, “Everybody likes you, Branch. Don’t doubt it for a second.” He promised in a hushed voice, wiping the tears away and smoothing down his hair; he didn’t know where all this came from, but whatever it was left Creek with a pit in his stomach and a little voice telling him that this was something Branch needed to talk about when he was sober, so he sung softly and just remained still, for Branch. 

On his part, Branch was quiet after that; he was half asleep and continued blubbering and clung to Creek’s arm for 20 or so minutes until he finally exhausted himself and fell asleep. Creek could have just sat there and watched him all night, in fact he didn’t necessarily want to leave the younger Troll alone in this state, and maybe if he hadn’t completely lost all sense of self control just an hour prior, he would have stayed and safeguarded his treasure. But Creek felt sick, and deemed himself more than unworthy to be so close to something so good, and so he briskly left for the bathroom. 

He slammed the door, his emotions rushing through him and knocking the breath out of his lungs, he braced himself on the sides of the sink and breathed heavily for a few minutes. His heart was running a marathon in his chest and he could feel his stomach twisting up threatening to purge its contents. The reality of what he did suffocated him, he splashed water on his face and without drying off left straight for his room, purposefully not looking at himself in the mirror. 

He closed his door and left the light off as he pressed his back to the wall and slid down until he was curled into a ball, his fingers dug painfully into his arms as he tried to calm himself down. He repeated his calming mantra over and over but it wasn’t helping, beads of sweat collected on his brow and he couldn’t unclench his jaw, all while his whole insides were twisting up anxiously. How could he have been so stupid? How could he let such a carnal side of him take over? How could he do that to Branch? 

Creek opened his eyes wide into the darkness of the room and saw a flash of when Branch was on his lap, all the marks he made all over the pale blue skin: his signature, his attempt to claim another living thing without consent, a rare lapse of beast like jealousy that would have done anything to keep Branch. Creek feels himself getting more sick thinking about what could have happened had he not realized his mistake so quickly, so he tried to silence his racing thoughts by meditating. It was hard, but as he shakily followed his own breathing exercises, he began to logically think about what he was going to say, and how he was going to apologize. And with a heavy heart he had to accept that Branch wasn’t going to continue staying with him, and probably wouldn’t be comfortable remaining friends- which Creek wouldn’t blame him for. 

He decided he was ready to wake up in a few hours, clean up the mess from last night, and head out as to allow Branch some time alone to heal before subjecting him to more stress. He would leave a note with a brief apology and a promise to make things right when Branch was ready. Creek nodded to himself, his heart in pieces, every good feeling from the last week and a half now nothing but dust, his plan was set and he refused to cause any more harm.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the part where things get emotional and Creek gets sad.  
> I know it's torture and everyone wants it to be happy, but just hang in there with me guys! I love you all and thanks for reading!

Branch barely had time to acknowledge his pounding headache as he woke up before the sound of rustling in the hallway caught his attention. His eyes were heavy and it took him a few minutes of rubbing them to get them fully open, although it hurt like hell and he winced even just looking around the dark room. He couldn’t remember going to bed, in fact the whole night had gotten foggy after- 

Suddenly Branch remembered the entire bottle of mead he had downed by himself and he groaned, flopping his arms out to his sides on the bed and squeezing his eyes shut for a blessed few seconds. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears and his whole head felt like it was throbbing. His mouth felt gross and he could immediately smell his own breath when he yawned, and cringed. Everything felt lagged but he needed to brush his teeth before he even tried to remember how last night went, so he languidly kicked his feet out from under his covers with a grunt and slumped onto the floor, trekking silently across the room and through the door to the bathroom across the hall. 

While crossing the hallway, Branch spared a glance into the living room, fully expecting to see Creek meditating like every morning; he wasn’t there, but he did hear some shuffling in the kitchen and so assumed he was otherwise preoccupied. 

Once inside, Branch hastily flung open his cabinet over the sink and got to work brushing his teeth; keeping the toothbrush in his mouth, he went about the bathroom, pulling the towels off the shower bar and turning on the faucet to get the hot water going for a shower. Despite the end result being a migraine, Branch was slowly recalling the previous night in jest, he remembered laughing for hours with Creek and watching bad television while playing some form of idiotic drunk charades, it all sounded so mundane but Branch’s chest was warm thinking about how much fun it had been, even if he had gotten a little too out of control. As he spit out the toothpaste, he offhandedly thought about planning another night of drinks and fun. 

Rinsing off his toothbrush, Branch put it and the toothpaste back into the cabinet and shut the door, he was turning to head to the shower when something in the mirror caught his eye. He squared himself up to the mirror and pulled his vest aside to reveal at least 4 or 5 dark marks mostly on his neck and collarbone. “What the hell...?” He mumbled to himself while staring incredulously at the mystery bruises. He touched them gently but even with nimble fingers they were very sensitive to touch and he pulled his hand back, spinning around to check the rest of him for anymore bruises. He mused that he must have partied a little harder than he remembered with a smirk. Straining his neck to look behind him in the mirror he also catches a glimpse of 4 small, very faint bruises on either side of his waist and eyes them curiously. 

Suddenly his breath hitched and lightning shot through his chest. 

They were finger marks, and the ones on his neck were hickies... From last night when he... 

He grabbed either side of the sink to keep himself upright and stared motionless into the drain. He had made an advance on Creek, and now with all the memory rushing back, he realized it was an unwanted advance at that. “No, no, no, no no no-!” Branch whined, tears forming in his wide, terrified eyes, he grabbed the sides of his head and his limbs began to shake. 

He recalled now, with vivid, painful detail, that he had been drunk enough to come onto Creek, who had been doing nothing but being nice and patient and understanding with him for almost 2 weeks- the first person to ever show true, heartfelt tolerance and compassion to him without being totally annoying, and he probably disgusted him. Branch felt sick replaying it in his mind’s eye, he remembered dizzily sitting himself on Creek’s lap like that’s where he belonged and whining like some horned up teenager even as Creek did everything in his power to be gentle and respectful and make it all stop, even though Branch was the one who initiated it. 

While unbiased guilt and embarrassment washed over him, he couldn’t help but feel bile rise in his throat as older, more painful, but eerily similar, memories and emotions rose to the surface- things he didn’t ever want to feel again; but it hit him like a train, and sent the tears rolling over his eyelids. It was all too much to come rushing back all at once. 

He pressed his lips together to prevent himself from shouting out in anger, not wanting to make any more of a fool out of himself. His thoughts raced, he didn’t understand what had come over him, where that impulse had come from. Romantically, his past had been nothing but heartache, he hadn’t let himself feel anything like that in a long time; the raw need, the _want_. So where had it come from? 

He began pacing the bathroom, turning off the shower, walking back across to stare at himself in the mirror- his tears drying on his cheeks as he began over analyzing his own emotions, confused by his own lapse of self-control, angry at his inebriated self, anxious to the core now being reminded of the past. All his thoughts, both rational and irrational, were flooding into the forefront of his thoughts and making his head spin as he trekked to-and-fro over the worn rock underfoot. It was definingly quiet. 

Branch stopped, letting out a slow breath, relaxing his shoulders and letting the tenseness ease from his muscles. He knew he was overthinking; he knew the solution was an apology and that freaking out in the bathroom wouldn’t do anything. He sighed shakily, bringing his hands down to his core where Creek had shown him how to center himself. He began counting with his breaths, holding in between the intakes and outtakes, letting the repetitive practice lull his nerves until he could see clearly and stood up straight without getting dizzy. 

He still didn’t grasp what had happened and why it did, he didn’t know if everything was going to be okay- hell, he didn’t even know if _he_ was okay- but if he had learned anything it was that it’s okay to talk about things, even if they’re awkward. 

Branch hurried to the door and pried it open, worriedly jogging down the hall to find Creek in the kitchen, “Creek!” He shouted, perhaps too loud as it seemed Creek nearly jumped out of his skin at the intrusion. Branch rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat nervously, “Sorry, I just really needed to talk to you.” The blue Troll admitted panickily but quieter. 

Creek smiled sadly, placing a bottle in his box of things he had been packing, “I actually also had something I needed to talk with you about.” 

“I’m sorry!” 

“I’m so sorry.” 

They said in unison. 

They both froze and blinked at each other for a few moments before Creek made a face, “What on earth do you have to be sorry for, my dear?” He scoffed, confused and appalled that Branch thought he had done anything wrong. 

Branch ran a hand through his hair nervously, “What do you mean me? What about you, you haven’t done anything wrong!” He admitted gesturing wildly in Creek’s direction. 

Obviously trying to remain gentle while completely caught off guard by this, Creek rubbed his face and chuckled dryly, “My love, please don’t, this isn’t funny. I have every reason to be sorry, I’m serious.” He said pointedly, letting a seldom seen stern expression cross his features. 

Ears turned up angrily, Branch seethed, “I am too. Just let me apologize!” 

“Not before I do” Creek huffed. 

The energy between them hung in the air for a brief moment before they both spat: 

“What do you even have to apologize for!” 

“What do you even have to apologize for!” 

They glared at each other, having spoken over on-another again 

“I took advantage of you!” 

“I pushed myself on you!” 

They admitted simultaneously, yet again. 

But this time they stopped, both of their stern expressions going slack in an instance and silence fell throughout the bunker. 

“Oh my word, Branch, you think you-” Creek began softly, reaching out to his friend but quickly drawing himself back, his eyes were softened and sad, and he showed a heartbroken smile, “My love, that was far from your fault. I was the clearer headed one and I shouldn’t have-” He flinched and sucked in a sharp breath, his hands winding together nervously, “I shouldn’t have let it go as far as I did. I am truly sorry and I’ll be out of your hair soon.” He admitted, motioning to his box of things. 

Branch had to take a moment to soak up everything that was said and to see Creek packing up, apparently intending to leave him. “No... no.” Branch began, putting his hand down on the box before Creek could pick it up, incidentally bringing them closer together. “That was all me. I drank too much, I pressured you, forced myself onto you when you clearly just wanted to take care of me and make sure I had a good night.” He explained, his eyes tearing up again as his anxieties welled up in his throat. He had to stop for a minute to breath and try not to get overwhelmed, “I’m so... so sorry I put you in that situation.” He forced himself to make eye contact with Creek, pouring every bit of sincerity into his expression. 

Creek’s heart melted at those pretty blue’s all watery and sad, and his shame quickly turned to compassion as he looped his arms around Branch’s waist and pulled him flush to his chest for a hug. The shorter Troll went stiff for a moment but quickly relaxed into the hold and slipped his arms up around Creek’s neck and hid his head against his chest. They stood like that for a few minutes, Branch was shaking and Creek could tell that this had been a lot for him to deal with and that he just needed this right now. 

“I don’t know what came over me.” Branch eventually mumbled into Creek’s chest. 

Combing his hand through Branch’s hair, Creek answered with a curious hum but otherwise stayed quiet so Branch could continue. 

Branch bit his lip, “What I did. I don’t know where it came from. I hadn’t... I hadn’t felt anything like that in a long time.” He admitted, quite glad his face was hidden as he could feel it heating up and likely turning red. 

Creek tried not to show his heart skipping a beat outwardly, but it about knocked the breath out of him and he had to really focus to get his breaths back on count. Somewhere in his brain he knew he shouldn’t take those words to mean anything; Branch had been drunk and experiencing inebriation for the first time, and everyone knows that you aren’t exactly all conscious when drunk. But hearing Branch say that shot a tiny bolt of lightning through him, hearing Branch admit to feeling _something_ he hadn’t felt in a long time was just fuel to a fire that Creek had spent days desperately trying to stomp out. He wanted to think maybe that meant Branch felt something for him, and that maybe getting drunk was just enough for him to drop his inhibitions and fall victim to his heart’s intent. 

He sighed, and continued stroking Branch’s hair. That was probably a bit of a stretch, though. 

“It’s... probably the time of the year,” Creek began quietly, keeping a calm smile on his face even though he knew his friend couldn’t see it at the moment. “Courting season isn’t just an excuse to party, although I’m sure Poppy would never admit that,” He joked good-naturedly, happy to hear a weak chuckle come from Branch, “The timing and length of the festival all line up with our biological clocks and when it’s the best theoretical time of the year to find a mate.” He explained, trying not to think too much about talk of mating. “Of course; it’s all rooted in our genes from back in a time where successful reproduction was key to survival.” He realized with a grimace that he was probably talking too much in an effort to not seem awkward on the topic; which probably made him seem more awkward. 

“All I’m saying is that it happens.” Creek swallowed hard, “Unwanted attractions, enhanced libido, it’s just part of it.” He pulled back, having felt Branch easing more into the embrace, and locked eyes with the shorter Troll, giving him a calming smile, “It’s not your fault love, don’t worry about it.” He kept his voice calm and reassuring, knowing that’s what Branch needed. “Everything is gonna be just fine.” A single slim tear fell down Branch’s cheek, and Creek softly wiped it away with his thumb before holding the side of the blue Troll’s face lovingly, caught marveling at his dark blue freckles laying over his flush cheeks. Branch sniffed once and seemed to shake off his nerves and put his hand over Creek’s before offering a small, shy smile. 

Creek felt his heart beating a rhythm in his chest with nothing but love for the genius recluse, being so close in such a still moment with nothing but the sound of Branch’s typically quick, anxious breaths to interrupt them, made him feel like last night’s near-disaster was a million years ago. His chest flourished with warmth and he was at a loss of breath in the moment; his cheeks were starting to protest being turned up in an awestruck smile for so long. 

Branch chuckled nervously, unable to remain under even Creek’s gaze for too long without getting anxious; thankfully Creek seemed to pick up on his discomfort almost immediately and sputtered an awkward apology for holding on so long while scratching the back of his neck. He felt better knowing Creek wasn’t angry with him, but he was still confused; his emotions still mixed up in his chest and wound up tight, but at least Creek didn’t hate him, at least he wasn’t going to leave anymore. 

Tomorrow Guy would be showing up to take him away to the festival and that thought left Branch terrified. He felt like he had really built up confidence and sociability with Creek, he felt like a different Troll now than he had two weeks prior. But it didn’t feel right. Nothing did. It could just be the time of the year, or this could just be how normal Trolls feel when something uncertain is going to happen; whatever it was- Branch could handle it, just not alone. Not yet. 

Honestly, he felt less sure of himself now than at the beginning of their impromptu staycation, so he surmised he would probably need Creek to help him work through.... whatever _this_ was. 

Creek watched as Branch snatched his box of things and stored it back where it had been, going about melting butter over a skillet to start breakfast. He smiled and trekked over to him and hip-bumped him out of the way, chuckling at the fussy sound Branch made in reply. “Why don’t you let me take care of breakfast love? You’ve been through a lot today already.” He offered kindly, taking the skillet and tipping it to-and-fro to spread out the butter before stepping over to the cabinet to grab a few potatoes and begin slicing them for hash browns. 

Branch huffed and tried to bump his way back in front of the stove with a grin, “Could say the same for you.” He snatched the skillet away before Creek could drop in the potatoes. 

With an amused huff, Creek dropped the potatoes back onto the counter and reached out to grab Branch by his vest and spin him around, snatching the pan out of his hand in the flurry of motion. Branch, in an effort to right himself, ended up plopping onto the floor with a grunt and pouted up at Creek. The guru chuckled warmly and placed the skillet back on the stove before leaning down to eye-level with Branch, “I’ll take care of it. You go shower,” He said before throwing Branch a playful smirk, “I don’t mind. Especially since I’m not the one who smells like the epitome of a bad hangover.” He laughed as Branch flushed red and swatted at him. He helped the shorter Troll to his feet and steered him down the hall before he could get any good swings in, making sure the bathroom door was closed before returning to the kitchen. 

///////// 

There was a breakfast of hash browns and sausage already on the small kitchen table by the time Branch emerged from the shower smelling like whatever decadent fruity shampoo he used. The blue Troll smiled crookedly, “Wow eating at the table today, that’s a little too normal for you.” He joked while taking his seat as Creek poured him a glass of orange juice, “You have a fever or something?” 

Creek huffed out a sarcastic laugh, “A table is just as good a place to eat as the couch or floor. It all just depends on the energies of the day.” He explained whilst storing the juice back into the refrigerator. Branch put his hands out in surrender before picking up his fork to dig into breakfast. 

Unsurprisingly, Creek spent most of the meal caught in his own worries, he hadn’t been able to meditate that morning, and because of everything last night he could feel his energies were all out of whack. He was worried about Branch, worried if last night would have turned him off of the idea of ever being courted. He spared a glance over at his friend, who appeared to be fairly upbeat despite everything, and just silently hoped he hadn’t ruined everything for the other Troll. Creek felt incredibly grateful to the universe that his fumble last night hadn’t cost him a genuinely amazing relationship, and he was coming to terms with reality: that tomorrow Branch would be on someone else’s arm and all Creek’s daydreams and goo-goo eyes needed to stop before it hurt someone or put the friendship he still had with Branch in jeopardy. 

He shook himself out of his thoughts and let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, his pulse was beating a quick, choppy rhythm, and his chest was wound so tight he felt like he couldn’t breathe. With another quick glance over to Branch, Creek’s heart flourished; he really loved him so much, and it felt amazing and new and exciting, just being in his presence felt like the most precious thing anyone could ever ask for- and he jealously thought that Poppy had been basically hoarding his company for the last few years. Regardless, Creek looked at Branch and saw nothing but a veritable gold mine of endearing traits: his sarcastic humor, his quick wit, his smarts, his freckles, his smile, the way he stuck his tongue out when he was focusing really hard- 

Creek had to shake himself off cloud 9 again and flicked his eyes down to his mostly untouched plate of food. Yes, he admitted to himself with a breathy chuckle, it felt amazing to be in love- but the fact was that there was nothing to be done about it. Other plans were already in motion, and Creek wasn’t going to jeopardize Branch’s chance of beginning again. Creek had been wound up in his own self-preservation for too long to realize he was missing the opportunity for something amazing, he held on to too much ill will from when Branch had been grey to realize the blue Troll was different; amazing and insightful and funny, and nothing at all like that grumpy teen who cursed at everyone and dug himself an underground bunker to escape the world. 

No- he missed out on years he could have spent fixing things with Branch, and he had no one to blame but himself. And now... 

Creek looked back up at Branch who was already polishing off his breakfast with a satisfied, full-cheeked smile. The guru smiled sadly to himself. 

And now this amazing Troll he had fallen for had greater things planned that weren’t settling for the village yoga instructor who betrayed them all not too long ago. 

“You okay?” Branch asked suddenly, breaking the silence and looking at Creek worriedly. “You haven’t touched your food.” Hed pointed out quietly. 

Creek threw him a smile and rested his head on his hand casually, “Just not very hungry this morning love.” It wasn’t a lie. Just a half-truth. Branch nodded and went to the sink to wash his dish, humming some gentle, bouncy tune as he did so. Creek watched him for a minute with the same dopey smile he seems to have adopted over the last week. 

At the end of the day he wanted what was best for Branch. His thoughts briefly drifted to what Cloud Guy had told him; about Guy Diamond not being what Branch needed, but he shook off the thought, firstly because Cloud Guy was not known to be the most reliable source of information or consultation, lastly because even if Guy wasn’t a long-term partner for Branch, it’s who he wanted for now, and that was good enough for Creek to back off. He was realizing fairly quickly that he would do anything for Branch, and would help him attain whatever he wanted. 

Wanted... 

A moment from the previous night was shocked back into his mind, and remembering he wanted to ask Branch about it he spoke up, “Branch, dear,” Creek began, his face contorted into something between worried and confused. Branch made a casual hum of acknowledgement, “Whose Asher?” Creek asked. 

Over the noise of the sink running there was the sudden clanking sound of glass dishes knocking together, Creek’s gaze shot over to Branch worriedly, curious to see if something had fallen out of a cabinet, only to see Branch gripping the sides of the sink, his knuckles white under the strain. 

Startled by the reaction, Creek quietly continued, “Last night. You asked me if I didn’t _want_ you because of what Asher did.” He stood up from his chair and took a step towards Branch, but there was something in the air around the other Troll, something fearful and dark, so Creek froze where he stood, “Whose Asher?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Major Trigger warning for this chapter!**  
>  This part was always going to be in the story, from the very beginning this has been a source of a lot of Branch's anxiety and fear, but I wasn't sure exactly how _graphic_ I was gonna go with it. It ended up being fairly graphic because I really didn't want to mute the story at all. My main purpose behind that being that I have based a lot of instances, interactions, and situations in this story off of personal experiences since I identify so strongly with Branch. That's probably sort of off-putting for some of you and I'm sorry, but trust me I'm not just telling my life's sob-story through Branch, it's just that my real life has loaned a lot of "inspiration" for writing for an anxious dork like Branch. 
> 
> All that being said the fanfic rating has been updated to Explicit and I've updated the archive warnings. There are 4 short flashback stories, each separated by a page breaker, the last one is where the Trigger Warning goes into effect, so skip that part if you are sensitive to non-con. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for the love and I hope I don't scare anyone off with the bad stuff, because there's a lot more good stuff to share!

“He’s nobody!” Branch snapped loudly, still frozen in place in front of the sink. He was beginning to visibly shake. 

Creek could tell something was wrong; Branch had never _ever_ sounded like that: surefire and spiteful like normal but with a defining amount of terror in the way his voice shook. He instinctively reached out to help, wanting nothing more than to hold the smaller Troll until everything was alright, but again he stopped himself; there was a palpable bubble of defensiveness around Branch, he could feel it and he didn’t want to pop it right now. 

Taking a moment to step back and absorb the situation, Creek quickly realized he’d stumbled into something that he didn’t think either of them were ready to deal with. But the hands were dealt and the walls were up and there was no going back, so he folded his hands together in front of his chest and waited. He knew Branch well enough now, well enough to know that if he spoke a word before Branch was ready that it could be disastrous. Creek didn’t want to see Branch self-destruct over this, he didn’t want to have to pry Branch out of a dissociative isolation right before his date with Guy Diamond; so, he waited. 

It was on his own time, many minutes of heavy breathing later, that Branch spoke again with his back still turned, “He’s someone I used to know.” He muscled out with a sigh, pushing his walls down and swallowing the anxiety that came with the association of the name. He finally turned, his eyes cloudy and unable to make eye contact, he crossed his arms but not in anger, but like he was hugging himself; a shield against whatever this was. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Branch let out quickly, turning to leave the room. But Creek was faster and scooted in front of the shorter Troll to stop him, unable to ignore the hurt in his expression and body language. 

Branch didn’t look at him or even acknowledge that he was being prevented from leaving, he just hugged himself tighter and stared at the floor. Creek felt panic rising in his throat; this was how Branch acted after he was embarrassed by Poppy and Guy showing up to the door the first morning they were together, only much worse, much deeper. His eyes were vacant, his limbs twitchy, whatever this was, it was causing him to shut down just to avoid dealing with the emotional implications, like he did before. And that couldn’t happen again. Not now, not when Branch had come so far. 

Creek took hold of Branch’s arms and leant down to be eye level with him, “Branch, look at me.” He said soft but sternly. It took a moment, but Branch lifted his head just enough to comply. Creek’s mouth fell into a thin line; those gorgeous blues he loved so much were glassy and distant, and it hurt to see something reduce the immoveable Branch to the mere shell of himself. “What happened?” Creek asked simply, keeping his gaze intense. 

No reply, just Branch’s eyes flicking away to the side. 

“Branch!” Creek exclaimed, jostling the smaller Troll. This seemed to draw him out of his daze a bit as he gave the guru an incredulous look, “I know this probably sounds weird coming from me, but; I’m serious.” He continued, moving his hands up to hold either side of Branch’s face gently, his expression caught between stern and concerned, his brows knit together worriedly. 

A few more minutes of nothing, Creek wanted to give him time to speak but when it was obvious nothing was coming, he continued, “My love, I adore you. And I would give you anything to help you, and I know it’s hard, but to help you- I need you to tell me what’s wrong.” He explained, his heart racing. Branch seemed to be coming more out of it now so Creek continued, “I’m sorry bringing it up caused this, but let me help you figure it out. Whatever it is must be something... you’ve pushed it deep down and that isn’t going to help you.” He said softly, rubbing small circles over Branch’s cheeks with his thumbs. “Whatever it is,” He smiled softly, “I won’t judge you.” Branch was alert now, staring wide-eyed at Creek, who’s smile widened just a bit seeing the light back in Branch’s eyes, “I’ll make it better.” Creek promised, his hushed voice filled with every ounce of love and compassion he had for Branch. 

It only took a moment for Branch to sigh, bringing his hands up to cover Creek’s, “Okay.” 

///////// 

Creek handed over the hot tea carefully, mindful of where his hands were so the mug wasn’t jostled as Branch took it from him. He then moved to take a seat on the couch next to Branch, who had a blanket loosely wrapped around him, his gaze was fixed on the mug in his hands now as his brow was knit together. His heart was beating a million miles per minute just thinking about what was about to transpire, and he seriously doubted he would have it in him to start speaking at all. 

Branch sighed and tightened his grip, closing his eyes tight; he couldn’t do this, there was too much to be said; things that Branch hadn’t even _thought_ about since then, let alone spoken about out loud. There was an appeal to the idea of getting it all out, however. The thought of finally sharing with someone, of not being alone, and maybe for once having someone as his confidant was nice. 

But then rose the ugly question of would Creek even still want to be around him once he knew. Would he be disgusted by the mere idea and renounce every nice thing he’d said over the last few weeks? Would he hate Branch if he knew? 

Would he tell the others? 

Branch bit his lip and tried to keep from shaking, the worst scenarios blowing through his mind and making his heart race. 

But he stopped, and forced himself to breath in-time as he mentally counted up to 5. He knew better than that. Yes, Creek had been an asshole in the past, but there was something different now; something sincere and trusting that he hadn’t seen before. Not even Poppy had put as much effort into their relationship as Creek had in a fraction of the time- so that either spoke to Creek’s reliability, or Poppy’s air headedness. 

Probably both. He thought with a momentary smirk. 

Branch turned to look at Creek, who was sat cross-legged on the next cushion patiently waiting with an atypically calm expression. “You have to promise me,” The blue Troll began with a huff, “That this doesn’t leave this bunker.” He said matter-of-fact. There was a beat of silence as Branch took a deep breath, “I trust you Creek, probably more than I should,” He was trying to sound skeptical but he couldn’t keep the hint of a smile that flashed across his face hidden, “So I want you to promise me. Because... I will take your word as the truth.” 

Creek was touched, of course he knew he’d been earning Branch’s trust the entire time, but to hear the other Troll admit it out loud, and on the precipice of some very sensitive information, really poked that fire in his belly. “Of course, Branch.” Creek said plainly. 

They let the silence fall for a few moments, Branch intensely watching Creek’s face for anything; distrust, anger, impassiveness. But there was nothing there but that same attentive, sympathetic expression he always wore in moments like this. 

Where a brief flow of bravery had taken over, it just as quickly vanished as soon as Branch had the floor to begin speaking. He turned back to staring at his drink while trying to squish himself back into the couch, thinking maybe it would just swallow him up and he wouldn’t have to talk about this. He could just stay in the cushions forever and forget about life. 

He sighed. 

No. He had to talk about it now. Or he probably never will. 

“Asher was my...” Branch began shakily, trying to make eye contact with Creek although his gaze wanted to be anywhere else, “He was my boyfriend.” He shut his eyes and slowly cracked them open a few moments later, expecting to see some awe-struck, mocking expression on Creek’s face. But yet again there was nothing- just Creek listening. “I know everyone thinks I’m a recluse whose never been close with anyone. Believe me I have ears everywhere; I hear what they say.” He admitted bitterly, then sighed, “But that wasn’t always the case...” 

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~ 

Branch was finally left alone to start working on his bunker, King Peppy had been more than a headache- forcing him to switch locations every time Branch started laying out the basis for his new home. But now he was a good way off from the village and his old pod, and he was finally breaking ground on his survival bunker. 

The day seemed to rise and fall very quickly, but Branch was happy with the work he had gotten done, which honestly wasn’t much considering he was doing this solo, he hadn’t managed to carve out a room yet but he already had a backup plan which consisted of a well-camouflaged lean-to against a nearby tree surrounded in tall grass; not the most Bergen-proof shelter, but it would do at least for the night. 

He woke the next morning at dawn and started working again, this process continued for many days before he was starting to really see his bunker coming together. However, as the days went on, he was becoming more and more desperate to finish and have a solid place to live, so he pushed himself more and more each day, often forgetting to eat, and rarely taking water breaks. 

It was about a week into the digging project when Branch finally collapsed, he was barely able to pull himself into the shade before passing out from lack of food, heat, and exhaustion. 

When he finally came-to he felt much better, and it took a few minutes for Branch to realize he was not in the same place he’d fallen; he was rested on a soft bed of moss under a thick fern which provided excellent shade. There was a cool compress on his forehead and a critter set up nearby that was flicking its wings to provide a cool draft. He sat up and looked around incredulously, noting the snacks by his side. 

“Hey there sleepy-head, I thought I’d lost you there for a minute.” A voice, rich and warm, alerts Branch to a presence near him. He turns his gaze till he finds another Troll walking towards him with a large bottle of water; he was tall, pale periwinkle skin and short purple hair, wearing a sleeveless vest and black pants, and even in the bright light of the day his eyes were very dark. The stranger knelt down and greeted Branch with a warm smile, “You okay handsome?” He chuckled, handing over the water. 

Branch bristled and snatched the water, “Yeah, and I was just fine before you presumably moved me.” He spat, drinking down half the water in one long swig. 

The stranger put his hands out in surrender, “Okay, my bad.” He reached out and took the cool compress, dabbing it along Branch’s forehead and neck, “I shoulda known a guy like you would be more than capable,” He chuckled, obviously enjoying the flustered blush spreading over the grey Troll’s cheeks in response to the attention, “I just thought I’d test out my skills and see how I did in the eyes on an expert. So... how’d I do?” He threw the biggest winning smile Branch’s way, and the grey Troll averted his gaze quickly. 

“Fine, I guess. If I had actually needed your help that would have been... satisfactory.” He mumbled, crossing his arms. 

The stranger bellowed a genuine laugh, “Aw, you’re breaking my heart here darlin’. Just satisfactory?” He put his hand on his chest in mock-offense- the charade drew a small, amused chuckle from Branch. “How about if I help you finish your little project over there, you raise my grade to at least an ‘Excellent’? What’dya say teach?” He schmoozed, holding his hand out to Branch with a cheesy grin. 

Most days Branch would ignore Trolls like him, and it was probably in his better judgement to turn this guy away and finish his bunker alone, like he had planned. Although, Branch didn’t much like the idea of passing out from heat exhaustion again, and he had frankly spent so much time alone, perhaps company wouldn’t be terrible. He looked up at the stranger, quickly turning away with a smile, unable to keep himself from going red- no one had ever treated him like this before; with this charm and respect and interest. Branch mused that he actually really liked the attention, but would probably never admit to it. 

He took the stranger’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled up, “We’ll see how your digging skills are. And my name is Branch. Please don’t call me ‘teach’ ever again.” Branch grunted, dusting himself off, “Makes me sound old.” He grumbled. 

The other Troll chuckled warmly, “Well... I’m Asher. Ash for short, Ashton for long. You got yourself a deal Branch. I’ll follow your lead.” 

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~ 

“Okay, home infiltration defense plan test 25!” Branch hollered from his place behind a book shelf, “Commencing in 3, 2, 1!” He hit a button on his remote and a whole slew of pointed or bladed weapons shot out of the wall towards the main hatch of the bunker right before a well-choreographed barrage of fire and darts added to the fray. Overall it was a cacophony of anti-intrusion defenses that a normal Troll would have been appalled at. But as soon as it was over Branch cheered, leaping out from his hiding place and marveling at the mess that was the entry way, quite certain that anyone standing there would have been toast. 

Asher popped out from his hiding spot as well, whooping and hollering, “Wow-wee you finally got it working darlin’! I’m so proud of you!” He exclaimed, looping an art around Branch’s waist and pulling him close. They both stood and looked at the charred, knife-infested entryway and Asher whistled, “Well, I tell ya’ what I don’t think anyone’s getting through there.” He laughed. He looked down at Branch, “Well is that it baby? Is it officially done?” He wondered with a cocked eyebrow. 

Branch looked around with a shrug and a small smile and nodded, “Yeah.” 

Asher chuckled and took the grey Troll’s shoulders, “And I mean, really done, this time, cos last time you said we were done and then you added-” 

“Asher-!” Branch laughed, silencing his partner. 

Asher stepped back and put his hands on his hips, trying to hide his grin, “I’m just trying to make sure you aren’t gonna add an extra bathroom on me last minute or something.” He admitted, brushing a hand through his hair. 

Again, Branch looked around, this time he was chuckling as he finally couldn’t see of think of anything that needed to be added, he locked eyes with his boyfriend and beamed, “Yes... yes we’re done!” He said in disbelief. 

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Asher laughed. He danced himself into the kitchen and called for Branch to follow, which he did with a lighthearted roll of his eyes. Once there he was caught off guard by Asher grabbing him by the waist and lifting him up to spin him around, “We did damn good didn’t we baby? Shoot how long did that take us?” Asher wondered. 

Branch laughed and swatted at the hands holding him up, “About 8 months.” He somehow answered while being tossed around. 

Asher stopped to look Branch in the face, “8 months?” He wondered in awe. A few beats passed and his expression softened, “I can’t believe it’s been 8 months I’ve spent with you.” He pulled Branch against his chest, smirking at the red dusting along his cheeks, “I feel like my life just started as soon as I met you.” He admitted, sitting Branch down on top of the kitchen table and squaring himself up in between the grey Troll’s legs. Before Branch could say anything, Asher pulled him in by the back of the neck and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. Perhaps it was the mirth of having finally finished their home, but it felt more passionate and meaningful than any of their kisses prior, Branch felt himself melt into his lover’s arms and kissed back as much as he could considering Asher took most of the control in these situations. 

Asher moved both his hands up to hold Branch’s face, deepening the kiss, using more tongue than normal, and Branch didn’t mind so much- it was a happy day for them both and this was just how Asher celebrated; with lots of sloppy kisses. It was actually fairly nice having the older Troll’s full attention, that is until he felt the hand trailing up his inner thigh. He pulled his mouth free, “Asher-!” He sputtered, and the blue Troll stopped his movement, “I still don’t think I’m... ready for... that.” Branch muscled out awkwardly. 

With a sigh, Asher took a step back, “Alright darlin’.” He huffed with a sneer; his mood noticeably dropped. 

He was turning to walk off somewhere before Branch, with anxious claws tearing at his heart at the thought of being alone again, called out in a mix of guilt and necessity, “Wait!” He called, and scooted himself off the table to catch up with Asher. He pulled the taller Troll down to kiss him and nudged him against the wall as he did so. Whilst kissing, Branch blindly fumbled trying to undo his partner’s pants. 

Asher broke their connection and smiled cockily, “Well aren’t you a good boy.” He bit his lip as he pushed Branch’s head down until he was knelt in front of him, perfectly lined up with his now exposed member. Branch looked up at him with a mix of hesitation and appreciation and Asher pet his hair softly, “I think you know what to do darlin’.” He cooed, before letting his head roll back against the wall to enjoy it. 

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~ 

Branch, for whatever reason, had gotten it in his head that he should adopt a pet, so he was perusing a pet store with Asher by his side, although the older Troll seemed less than thrilled with the idea. After a few minutes, a small coil of yellow scales caught Branch’s eye and he jogged over to a terrarium with a little snake curled up inside. 

Asher sighed, “Branch, I don’t think you need a snake.” He chuckled exasperatedly. “It could be dangerous someday.” 

Branch ignored him and reached in to give the tiny thing a few gentle pets. 

Behind him, Archer groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, “You’re afraid of birds and spiders but not a snake that’s gonna grow big enough to eat you?” Asher wondered, sounding more annoyed by the second. 

Branch rolled his eyes and continued to pet the little yellow snake while also looking over at the other reptiles they had, already sold on the idea of having a little scaly friend around. There was a little red and black snake that had its head up and was looking at him through the glass, Branch smiled and gently put his finger on the glass in front of the snake’s face, chuckling when it stuck its tongue out. 

“Branch!” Asher seethed through his teeth, grabbing Branch’s arm hard, “Are you listening to me?” He asked hushed, but angry. 

Trying to pull his arm away but with no success, Branch replied, “I hear you. I’m just looking at them-” He explained nervously, knowing such a hard grip was going to leave finger sized bruises. 

Asher jerked him away from the terrariums, “Well you’ve looked, so c’mon, we need to get our groceries before they run out of the fresh produce.” He said, forcefully pulling Branch all the way out of the pet store until they were a few steps down the way towards the market when he finally let go. 

Branch inspected the afflicted area on his arm and frowned, it was sore and tender to the touch and he knew there would be bruises; he idly hoped that no one noticed them, he wasn’t sure he could use the same excuse as last time... 

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~ 

It had proven to be a nice evening alone. Branch opted to stay at home and work on some new anti-Bergen tech while Asher went out drinking with friends, and he had gotten a solid few hours of work in which was more than he could say for the past few weeks. A little over a year into his and Asher’s relationship and he was happy to take any alone time he could; he loved Asher but it really felt like he had become ‘Asher’s boyfriend’ instead of just being Branch, like he had lost a part of himself, and getting some alone time working on inventions helped him feel more normal. 

He was in the kitchen making some coffee when he heard the mechanical lift whir to life, and within a minute, Asher was descending on the platform still holding a bottle of something. Branch smiled and made a step towards his lover, “Did’ja have fun with the guys tonight?” He asked casually, going in for a hug. 

Asher shoved him away, “I dun’know, did yyyou have fun with the guys to-tonight?” He slurred, wobbling past him into the kitchen. 

Branch smirked, believing this to be another drunk ramble, “What are you talking about Ash?” 

Suddenly, Asher whipped back towards him and chucked his bottle full-velocity at Branch, and although it missed, it did smash into the wall right behind him, sending beer and shards of glass everywhere. “Don’t play dumb with - _urp_ \- me you ssslut!” He sneered. 

Branch, mouth agape, took a step back, “I’m not! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” His voice shook, part out of anger from being called such a derogatory name, but mostly because this was escalating into a fairly terrifying situation, and it wouldn’t be the first time Asher being drunk lead to something terrible. 

Asher stormed forward and grabbed Branch’s wrist, pulling him out of the corner he’d pressed himself into, ignoring the shorter Troll’s cry of pain as he was man-handled too roughly. “I’m talkin’ about them other guys you- _urrp_ \- fuck around with when I’m out!” He had dragged Branch out of the kitchen and down the hallway to their room and flung him through the door. 

Branch stumbled forward but turned back towards his lover with his hands held out in front of him, “Asher, I would never do that to you-” His voice shook, he sounded so small, “Ever since the last talk we had about it, I haven’t even been talking to anyone else! Let alone having anybody over!” He explained, trying desperately to convince his enraged partner that everything was okay. Cautiously, he closed the distance between them and gingerly rested his hands on Asher’s heaving chest, flashing his teary blue’s at him to hopefully deescalate the situation, “Please Asher,” Branch whined, his extremities quaking, “I love you, I could never do anything to hurt you.” He leaned forward to give Asher a gentle kiss on the cheek, praying the sincerity and truth of his admittance shined through. 

There were many beats of stillness, Asher’s expression went slack and he looked away, and Branch smiled softly to himself, thinking he had avoided the inevitable. 

But then, a throbbing pain engulfed Branch’s face, and the force of the punch he received knocked him to the ground. He whined, his body shaking even more ferociously as the pain really started to seep in, the rock floors scraped up his hands and knees as he stayed down trying not to cry. The first sound Branch heard through the ringing in his ears was a soft dripping; he pried his watery eyes open to see a few drops of blood decorating the floor beneath him. He gasped and lifted his hand to his mouth, pulling it away to find a generous coating of blood on his fingers, and was newly aware of the copper taste filling his mouth. 

Asher snatched Branch by the back of his vest and hauled him to his feet, smirking fiendishly at his partner’s bruised and bloody face. He lifted a hand to gently run a finger down Branch’s cheek, “Oh, you’re so pretty like this darlin’.” He cooed, moving in to kiss his bloody lips. He pulled away and started dragging Branch over to the bed, throwing him down on his back over the covers; Branch cried out when his shoulder was jostled, having possibly fractured it when he fell before, which only made Asher chuckle. “I think I can forgive this- _urrrp_ \- indiscretion though the sssame means as last time.” He pinned Branch down by his wrist and crawled over him before the smaller Troll could say or do anything. “How’s that sound, handsome?” 

Branch shook his head and tried to pry himself free, “Asher please, not again.” He felt the tears finally spilling over his cheeks, “I’ll do anything else; I just really don’t feel like that tonigh-” 

Archer hit him again. This time it was an open-handed slap to the not bleeding side of Branch’s face, “I’m the one you’ve hurt with your disloyalty, darlin’.” Asher purred dangerously into his ear, ignoring the gentle sobs now coming from his partner, “I don’t think you get to make the decision. This is for me.” He pressed his hips down to grind against Branch’s, making sure the younger Troll felt the erection he was sporting. 

Branch’s eyes went wide and he renewed his struggle to get free but also not make the situation worse. But there was nothing he could do, Asher was much stronger, and his loud voice commanding him to be still froze him in fear, and Branch knew if he struggled too hard that he would regret it. He had struggled too much the first time, and he couldn’t walk right for days because of the pain, and he’d rather not go through that again. 

Branch could feel himself dissociating as he was stripped, he barely tasted the blood in his mouth anymore although it was very much still there, he dropped his head to the side and stared at the wall blankly. It was only when he felt something pushing into him that he snapped back into full consciousness, mostly because the pain made it hard for him to space out. He cried out and looked down to see Asher’s cock slowly sheathing itself inside him; Asher was grinning ear-to-ear and his head lolled back as he let out a low, pleased groan at the sensation. “Fffuck, Branch, I swear you get tighter every time.” He chuckled, snapping his hips forward to completely fill his partner. 

Branch fisted the blankets on the bed as the girth at the base of Asher’s cock stretched him open, sending sharp fiery pain through him, he was hyperventilating just to counteract passing out and he whined and wiggled against the intrusion, trying anything to make it the least bit tolerable. 

Asher didn’t give him much time to get adjusted and started a thundering pace with his hips, making sure to draw out the loudest cries from his young lover and not giving any leniency. 

On his part, Branch was in hell, as he always was when this happened, just a few minutes in and his throat was sore and his voice was already peaked out from crying out so much. He was biting his lip enough to draw blood, which was a nice, but brief, respite from the pain afflicting his lower half. He let himself be used, and pulled down onto it, or choked while being all but torn in half- whatever Asher wanted- whatever would make things right as quickly as possible. Eventually, he found himself blankly staring at the wall again, forcefully ignoring everything going on as his thoughts dissipated into nothing but fog. 

It seemed to drag on forever, it always did, but maybe half an hour of relentless ravaging later, Asher stopped his chatter and his praise, which was usually a tell to him being close. He picked Branch up by the waist, pulling him off his cock and repositioning him to be face-down in the mattress. Branch whined as the momentary relief ended and Asher was pushing back into him. It felt even worse in this position; it felt deeper and harder, and like impossibly more of his insides were being violated. He could feel the slight swell in the size of Asher’s member inside him, and the older Troll’s thrusts were becoming choppy and desperate- he was close, so Branch was relieved it was almost over. 

Normally what happened, was once he hit the breaking point, Asher would either finish on his back, or push Branch to his knees to do it on his face- Branch didn’t know which was worse, but he’d take either over another 5 minutes of this hell. 

This time however, Asher let out a tell-tale grunt and stilled his hips, his fingers digging painfully into Branch’s sides- Branch was waiting for it to end, for that blessed moment when he pulled out and he was finally done with this. But instead, Asher chuckled darkly and snapped his hips forward again, burying himself in Branch completely, and Branch cried out having been caught unawares. Asher leaned forward and wrapped one arm around Branch, pinning his arms to his sides, while the other kept them both upright. “You ready baby?” Asher cooed, nipping at Branch’s ear. 

“For wh...what..?” Branch whined, his voice broken and hardly there at all. 

Renewing his effort, Asher grunted, “For me to finish,” He stopped to breath without stopping his hips, “For you to take everything I’ve got for ya’.” He chuckled, and reared back to groan at the sensation, unawares of the terrifying realization taking over Branch’s features. 

A panic set in on Branch’s chest and for the first time in the last half hour he genuinely struggled against his partner, “You-you-you can’t!” He shouted, trying to pull away but to no avail, “Please, A-A-Asher... I could... I could get-!” He croaked out embarrassedly, a red flush crosses his face struggling to say it out loud. 

Asher smacked his backside with a loud ‘thwap’, “Oh I know,” He admitted with a satisfied smirk, redoubling his efforts, “I think I’ve proven myself worthy of siring.” 

Branch cried out, thrashing in Asher’s grip, “No no, please, I don’t want to!” He cried desperately, the panic causing his heart to race like it was about to leap from his chest, “I’m too young-!” He added, hoping perhaps the thought of a teen carrying would turn him off to the idea. 

Apparently, it did nothing to deter Asher, who only chuckled in response, “I’ll take care of you, darlin’. And this way,” He leaned down to whisper in Branch’s ear, “I won’t have to worry about you having other guys over when I’m gone. It’s a win-win doll face; I get you, and you get to have my kids.” He dug his fingers into Branch’s hair and pulled hard, “Isn’t that the best-case scenario for you breeders? To find a strong mate and pump out kids?” He said with some amount of possessive disdain in his voice. 

Branch wanted to reply, he wanted to denounce those nasty stereotypes about carriers, he wanted to throw a fit and make this stop- this couldn’t happen, he couldn’t carry- but no words came from his mouth, and his body was unresponsive. He was stuck, and tears rolled over his eyes knowing that he couldn’t get out of this situation, the helplessness that came with it burned him to the core. He wanted Asher to be happy, and be pleased with him, but he couldn’t help but feel like this wasn’t okay. 

“Oh _fuck_ darlin’-” Asher grunted, snapping his hips forward a final few times before climaxing with a shout, spilling himself into Branch, who seized up at the feeling. Asher released his hair and let Branch burry his face in the blankets and cry, trying to ignore the warm wetness that continued to violate him. He could feel it inside, warm and full and disgusting even as it started to spill over and down his backside and legs. 

After a few minutes Asher pulled out with a satisfied sigh, reaching down to squeeze the back of Branch’s neck, “Good boy, Branch. Now you just stay like this for a few minutes so you don’t waste any of that and I’ll start the shower for you.” 

And he did just that, Branch remained perfectly still aside from the violently shaking, he tried to even out his breathing so he wasn’t gasping for air, but he couldn’t stop hyperventilating for many more minutes. He was gripping the blankets so hard his fingers hurt, and he was face-down in his own sweat soaked sheets but he couldn’t bring himself to leave his hiding spot- thinking maybe if he stayed like that, he wouldn’t have to address what happened, nor would he have to clean up the mess he felt between his legs. Yes, staying hidden in the blankets forever seemed like the best idea. 

But of course, it couldn’t last, and soon Asher was back using his deceptive gentleness to hoist Branch up and carry him to the bathroom. 

As Asher fiddled with the shower faucets, Branch stood feeling hollow and defeated, blankly staring at himself in the bathroom mirror. His lip was busted and swollen, and he still had flakes of dry blood running down his face, both of his cheeks were sporting terrifyingly dark bruises and he could see multiple finger-sized bruises from where he had been grabbed too roughly. All things considered; Branch felt fortunate it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. At least this time he had no broken bones. 

Asher appeared behind him in the mirror and wrapped his arms loosely around Branch’s neck and shoulders, he was silent for a minute before kissing the top of the shorter Troll’s head, “See? Wasn’t so bad right?” He mused with a soft smile, now more sober than before, “And now,” He turned Branch around and tenderly lifted him up to sit on the edge of the sink, “Now we might have something to look forward to!” He explained sounding genuinely excited, a stark contrast to the cruelty he was spitting not even an hour ago. He swooped in to give Branch a soft kiss and put his hand on his belly, “You could be carrying in a few days time!” He beamed. 

Branch allowed a small smile cross his face, glad to see his lover was in a much better mood than before, and unable to deny his contagious charisma that swept Branch off his feet in the first place. He nodded. Thinking that maybe if he was carrying that the punishments would stop. 

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'll update as soon as I can, comments are more than welcome I love hearing what people think!


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